What term describes the action of a mouse hovering over a place or object in web design?

The term that describes the action of a mouse hovering over a place or object in web design is known as "hovering." This action triggers a specific response on the website, such as a change in color, the appearance of a tooltip, or other visual feedback intended to inform the user about interactive elements. Hovering is a fundamental part of user interface design, allowing designers to create dynamic and engaging experiences by indicating that certain elements can be interacted with without requiring a click.

In contrast, clicking refers to the action of pressing a mouse button to select or activate an element, focusing usually pertains to bringing an element into view or enabling input focus for text fields, and scrolling involves moving the viewport up or down to see more content. Each of these actions contributes to web navigation and interaction but does not specifically denote the act of simply placing the cursor over a UI element, which is the essence of hovering.