Humour

From Middle English, from Old French humor, from Latin humor, correctly umor ("moisture"), from humere, correctly umere ("to be moist").

Full definition of humour

(plural humours)

(obsolete) Moist vapour, moisture.
(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.

1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, Book I, New York 2001, p. 147:A humour is a liquid or fluent part of the body, comprehended in it, for the preservation of it; and is either innate or born with us, or adventitious and acquisite.
1763, Antoine-Simon Le Page Du Pratz, History of Louisisana (PG), (tr. 1774) p. 42:For some days a fistula lacrymalis had come into my left eye, which discharged an humour, when pressed, that portended danger.

(medicine) Either of the two regions of liquid within the eyeball, the aqueous humour and vitreous humour.
(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.

RoscommonExamine how your humour is inclined,
And which the ruling passion of your mind.
Francis Bacon (1561-1626)a prince of a pleasant humour
William Shakespeare (1564-1616)I like not the humour of lying.
Robert South (1634â€“1716)Is my friend all perfection, all virtue and discretion? Has he not humours to be endured?

(uncountable) The quality of being amusing, comical, funny. from the early 18th c.
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.

Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774)For thy sake I admit
That a Scot may have humour, I'd almost said wit.
Washington Irving (1783-1859)A great deal of excellent humour was expended on the perplexities of mine host.
1959, Georgette Heyer, The Unknown Ajax Chapter 1, 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.

(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.