Hovering in the middle are the vast number of neutral words that can swing either way.

The number of people housed in city shelters this fall has hovered around 9,000 a night.

The number of houses there, beginning in 1900, hovered around 100.

The number of bicycles sold each year has hovered around 11 million.

Towards the end of the 17th century, the number of students hovered around 100.

Today, the number of members hovers around a hundred.

The number of minutes players have received has hovered over this team all season.

She told me: "The number of women at the top often hovers around a third, and then stalls."

I blush to say this, but the number of books I've written is hovering around the seventy mark.

On the fringe a number of little boys hovered, and two girls.