mummify

American  

[muhm-uh-fahy] / ˈmʌm əˌfaɪ /

verb (used with object)

mummified, mummifying

1. to make (a dead body) into a mummy, as by embalming and drying.

2. to make (something) resemble a mummy; dry or shrivel up.

   The dead lizard was mummified by the hot desert air.

3. to preserve (an idea, institution, custom, etc.) that may have outlived its usefulness or relevance.

   Those mummified customs have no place in society today.

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verb (used without object)

mummified, mummifying

1. to dry or shrivel up.

mummify British  

/ ˈmʌmɪˌfaɪ /

verb

1. (tr) to preserve the body of (a human or animal) as a mummy

2. (intr) to dry up; shrivel

3. (tr) to preserve (an outdated idea, institution, etc) while making lifeless

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Other Word Forms

• half-mummified adjective
• mummification noun
• unmummified adjective
• unmummifying adjective

Etymology

Origin of mummify

First recorded in 1620–30; mummy ¹ + -fy

Example Sentences

The 43-year-old still appreciates the series—and for more than the thrill of learning how investigators identified a mummified pregnant woman hidden in a barrel on Long Island.

From The Wall Street Journal

An adjacent room showcases two small mummified princesses -- Tutankhamun's daughters who died before birth -- also on public display for the first time.

From Barron's

The body is then mummified due to a lack of moisture and oxygen in the glacier.

From BBC

Redacted videos of the couple’s mummified bodies captured on police bodycam recordings could be released if they are blurred, the court ruled.

From Los Angeles Times

An Anglican church in Dublin has been unable to reopen a historic crypt to the public since the remains of mummified bodies were damaged in an arson attack.

From BBC