Webster's English Dictionary

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humble

1. hum.ble \'h*m-b*l, '*m-\ \-b(*-)l*r\ \-b(*-)l*st\ \-b*l-n*s\ \-ble-\ aj 
   or hum.bler;  or hum.blest [ME, fr. OF, fr. L humilis low, humble, fr. 
   humus earth; akin to Gk] chtho-n earth, chamai on the ground 1: not proud 
   or haughty : not arrogant or assertive  2: reflecting, expressing, or 
   offered in a spirit of deference or submissi on {~ apology} 3: ranking low 
   in some hierarchy or scale : INSIGNIFICANT, UNPR ETENTIOUSay suggest 
   virtues, HUMBLE implying absence of vanity and arrogance, MEEK the absence 
   of wrath or vindictiveness, but HUMBLE may also imply undue 
   self-depreciation and MEEK may suggest lack of spirit or a timid 
   submissiveness; MODEST implies a lack of boastfulness or conceit, without 
   any implication of abjectness; LOWLY is close to HUMBLE and may stress lack 
   of pretentiousness - hum.ble.ness n SYN syn MEEK, MODEST, LOWLY: HUMBLE and 
   MEEK m 
2. humble \-b(*-)lin\ \-b(*-)l*r\ vt or hum.bling 1: to make humble in 
   spirit or manner  2: to destroy the power, independence, or prestige of  - 
   hum.bler n