mum

¹ American  

[muhm] / mʌm /

adjective

1. silent; not saying a word.

   to keep mum.

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interjection

1. (used to demand immediate silence.)

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.

mum ² American  

[muhm] / mʌm /

Or mumm

verb (used without object)

mummed, mumming

1. to say “mum”; call for silence.

2. to act as a mummer.

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mum ³ American  

[muhm] / mʌm /

noun

1. chrysanthemum.

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mum ⁴ American  

[muhm] / mʌm /

noun

Chiefly British.

1. mom.

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mum ⁵ American  

[muhm] / mʌm /

noun

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

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mum ⁶ American  

[muhm] / mʌm /

noun

Chiefly British.

1. madam.

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mum ¹ British  

/ mʌm /

adjective

1. keeping information to oneself; silent

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noun

1. silence or secrecy is to be observed

mum ² British  

/ mʌm /

noun

1. an informal word for mother 1

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mum ³ British  

/ mʌm /

verb

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

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mum ⁴ British  

/ mʌm /

noun

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

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Usage

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!

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

As a mum with two small children, I also wanted to know whether they may be having an impact on my family.

From BBC

A mum of two from Gloucestershire is hosting a free toy swap to help families budget for Christmas.

From BBC

The Unite Students survey found 71% of dads used tracking apps for their children at university, compared to 59% of mums.

From BBC

A terminally ill boy's wish to see Santa for a final time is set to come true after an "amazing" response to his mum's social media appeal.

From BBC

I think my mum and dad, they told me one of the first things I kicked was one of the lamps.

From BBC

Related Words

• bashful