mum

¹

[muhm]

adjective

1. silent; not saying a word.

   to keep mum.

interjection

1. (used to demand immediate silence.)

mum

²

Or mumm

[muhm]

verb (used without object)

mummed, mumming 

1. to say “mum”; call for silence.

2. to act as a mummer.

mum

³

[muhm]

noun

1. chrysanthemum.

mum

⁴

[muhm]

noun

Chiefly British.

1. mom.

mum

⁵

[muhm]

noun

1. a strong beer or ale, first made in Brunswick, Germany.

mum

⁶

[muhm]

noun

Chiefly British.

1. madam.

mum

¹

/ mʌm /

adjective

1. keeping information to oneself; silent

noun

1. silence or secrecy is to be observed

mum

²

/ mʌm /

noun

1. an informal word for mother 1

mum

³

/ mʌm /

verb

1. (intr) to act in a mummer's play

mum

⁴

/ mʌm /

noun

1. obsolete,  a type of beer made from cereals, beans, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of mum¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English momme; imitative

Origin of mum²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English mommen, verb use of mum ¹; compare Middle Dutch mommen ”to act the mummer's part”

Origin of mum³

First recorded in 1890–95; shortened form

Origin of mum⁴

First recorded in 1815–25; nursery word; mom

Origin of mum⁵

First recorded in 1630–40; from German Mumme, said to have been named after Christian Mumme, the brewer who made it

Origin of mum⁶

Variant of ma'am

Word History and Origins

Origin of mum¹

C14: suggestive of closed lips

Origin of mum²

C19: a child's word

Origin of mum³

C16: verbal use of _mum ²

Origin of mum⁴

C17: from German Mumme, perhaps from the name of its original brewer

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. mum's the word, do not reveal what you know (about something); keep silent.

   Mum's the word, or the surprise party won't be a surprise.

Example Sentences

‘Once my mum passed, our $1.1 million house was immediately put solely in my name, along with healthy investment and bank accounts equaling about $500,000.’

Read more on MarketWatch

A mum hopes her Halloween costume swap-shop will help ease the financial pressure on parents this autumn.

Read more on BBC

It found a series of patient safety concerns, including staffing shortages and delays in assessing expectant mums.

Read more on BBC

"Angela was a loved daughter, sister, mum and aunty and will be sadly missed," Ms Shellis' family said in a statement.

Read more on BBC

At homes across the country, orange jack o’lanterns, greenish-gray Jarrahdales and pink porcelain dolls cascade down the stairs, sometimes mixed with cornstalks, vibrantly colored mums or spooky Halloween decorations.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bashful 

When To Use

What does mum mean?

Mum is an adjective that means keeping quiet. It can also be used by itself to mean Be quiet!This sense of mum is especially used in the expressions keep mum and mum’s the word. In the U.K. and other places, mum is used as a word for mom or madam. It’s also commonly used as a short way of saying chrysanthemum, a type of flower.Example: Mum’s keeping mum—I can’t get a word out of her!