mum
1[ muhm ]
/ mʌm /
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adjective
silent; not saying a word: to keep mum.
interjection
(used to demand immediate silence.)
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We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.
Question 1 of 8
Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?
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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
1First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English momme; imitative
Other definitions for mum (2 of 6)
mum2
or mumm
[ muhm ]
/ mʌm /
verb (used without object), mummed, mum·ming.
to say “mum”; call for silence.
to act as a mummer.
Origin of mum
2First 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)
Origin of mum
3First recorded in 1890–95; shortened form
Other definitions for mum (4 of 6)
Origin of mum
4First recorded in 1815–25; nursery word; see mom
Other definitions for mum (5 of 6)
mum5
[ muhm ]
/ mʌm /
noun
a strong beer or ale, first made in Brunswick, Germany.
Origin of mum
5First 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)
Origin of mum
6Variant of ma'am
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use mum in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for mum (1 of 4)
Word Origin for 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
Word Origin for mum
C14: suggestive of closed lips
British Dictionary definitions for mum (3 of 4)
mum3
mumm
/ (mʌm) /
verb mums, mumming or mummed
(intr) to act in a mummer's play
Word Origin for 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
Word Origin for mum
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
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Medical definitions for mum
μm
abbr.
micrometer2
micron
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.