humour

Etymology

From Middle English humour, from Old French humor, from Latin humor, correctly umor (“moisture”), from humō, correctly umō (“to be moist”).

noun

1. (uncountable) The quality of being amusing, comical, funny.
   She has a great sense of humour, and I always laugh a lot whenever we get together.
   The sensitive subject was treated with humour, but in such way that no one was offended.
   Charles had not been employed above six months at Darracott Place, but he was not such a whopstraw as to make the least noise in the performance of his duties when his lordship was out of humour. 1959, Georgette Heyer, chapter 1, in The Unknown Ajax
2. (uncountable) A mood, especially a bad mood; a temporary state of mind or disposition brought upon by an event; an abrupt illogical inclination or whim.
   He was in a particularly vile humour that afternoon.
   Examine how your humour is inclined, / And which the ruling passion of your mind. 1684, Lord Roscommon, Essay on Translated Verse
   ([I]t was the town's humour to be always gassing of phantom investors who were likely to come any moment and pay a thousand prices for everything)—“[…]Them rich fellers, they don't make no bad breaks with their money.[…]” 1899, Stephen Crane, chapter 1, in Twelve O'Clock
3. (archaic or historical) Any of the fluids in an animal body, especially the four "cardinal humours" of blood, yellow bile, black bile and phlegm that were believed to control the health and mood of the human body.
   For some days a fistula lacrymalis had come into my left eye, which discharged an humour, when pressed, that portended danger. 1763, Antoine-Simon Le Page du Pratz, History of Louisisana (PG), (tr. 1774) page 42
4. (medicine) Either of the two regions of liquid within the eyeball, the aqueous humour and vitreous humour.
5. (obsolete) Moist vapour, moisture.

verb

1. (transitive) To pacify by indulging.
   I know you don't believe my story, but humour me for a minute and imagine it to be true.