mum

[ muhm ]

See synonyms for: mum mums on Thesaurus.com

adjective

silent; not saying a word: to keep mum.

interjection

(used to demand immediate silence.)

Idioms about mum

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.

Origin of mum

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

Other definitions for mum (2 of 6)

mum²

or mumm

[ muhm ]

verb (used without object),mummed, mum·ming.

to say “mum”; call for silence.
to act as a mummer.

Origin of mum

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English mommen, verb use of mum¹; compare Middle Dutch mommen ”to act the mummer's part”

Other definitions for mum (3 of 6)

mum³

[ muhm ]

noun

chrysanthemum.

Origin of mum

First recorded in 1890–95; shortened form

Other definitions for mum (4 of 6)

mum⁴

[ muhm ]

nounChiefly British.

mom (def. 1).

Origin of mum

⁴

First recorded in 1815–25; nursery word; see mom

Other definitions for mum (5 of 6)

mum⁵

[ muhm ]

noun

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

Origin of mum

⁵

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

Other definitions for mum (6 of 6)

mum⁶

[ muhm ]

nounChiefly British.

madam.

Origin of mum

⁶

Variant of ma'am

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use mum in a sentence

Wee Róisín Murphy has no idea her sister is actually her mum.
Make room for ‘Big Girl, Small Town’ | Ron Charles | December 2, 2020 | Washington Post
If I didn’t have my brothers doing what they do for me, and my mum doing what she does for me, it wouldn’t feel normal.
After growing up poor, a Premier League star corners U.K. into feeding its hungry | Amos Barshad | November 30, 2020 | Washington Post
The enterprising lady followed the mumming company through the gate in the white paling, and stood before the open porch.
Return of the Native | Thomas Hardy
The Fool (Motley: with a bauble long enough to put over his shoulder and be held by the one behind in the mumming circle).
The Peace Egg and Other tales | Juliana Horatia Ewing
English Wat, attend me alone, and the rest of you end your revelry, and doff your mumming habits.
The Fair Maid of Perth | Sir Walter Scott

Now we had planned at home that we would use only P-speech while mumming, for then no one would know us.
What Happened to Inger Johanne | Dikken Zwilgmeyer
The same bribe they repeat at Christmas to stay the boys from going round mumming.
Field and Hedgerow | Richard Jefferies

British Dictionary definitions for mum (1 of 4)

mum¹

/ (mʌm) /

noun

mainly British an informal word for mother 1

Origin of mum

C19: a child's word

British Dictionary definitions for mum (2 of 4)

mum²

/ (mʌm) /

adjective

keeping information to oneself; silent

noun

mum's the word silence or secrecy is to be observed

Origin of mum

C14: suggestive of closed lips

British Dictionary definitions for mum (3 of 4)

mum³

mumm

/ (mʌm) /

verbmums, mumming or mummed

(intr) to act in a mummer's play

Origin of mum

C16: verbal use of mum ²

British Dictionary definitions for mum (4 of 4)

mum⁴

/ (mʌm) /

noun

British obsolete a type of beer made from cereals, beans, etc

Origin of mum

⁴

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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