Floated in the air without moving forward, backward, or down; or remained near a place waiting and watching.
From Middle English 'hove' or 'hoven,' related to 'heave.' The original sense was nautical (ships hovering in place). The figurative sense of 'staying near' developed naturally from the physical meaning.
Helicopters work because of hovering—the rotor blades push air downward with enough force to match gravity, which is why they can stay completely still in mid-air, something no fixed-wing plane can do!
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