mummy

¹

[ muhm-ee ]

noun

, plural mum·mies.

1. the dead body of a human being or animal, treated with natural or chemical desiccants and preservatives as part of preparation for burial, as notably practiced in ancient Egyptian and South American cultures:

   The Egyptian mummies on display, characteristically wrapped in multiple layers of linen, are more than 3,500 years old.

2. a dead body dried and preserved by nature.
3. a withered or shrunken living being:

   When this mummy of a guy walked in, we were not expecting him to say that he’s our new fitness coach!

4. a dry, shriveled fruit, tuber, or other plant organ, resulting from any of several fungal diseases.

verb (used with object)

, mum·mied, mum·my·ing.

1. Archaic. to make into or cause to resemble a mummy; mummify.

mummy

²

[ muhm-ee ]

noun

, Chiefly British Informal.

, plural mum·mies.

1. mommy ( def ).

mummy

¹

/ ˈmʌmɪ /

noun

1. a child's word for mother 1

mummy

²

/ ˈmʌmɪ /

noun

1. an embalmed or preserved body, esp as prepared for burial in ancient Egypt
2. obsolete.
   the substance of such a body used medicinally
3. a mass of pulp
4. a dark brown pigment

Other Words From

• un·mum·mied adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mummy¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English mummie, from Medieval Latin mummia, from Arabic mūmiyah “mummy,” literally, “bitumen,” from Persian mūm “wax”

Origin of mummy²

First recorded in 1815–25; mum ⁴ + -y ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of mummy¹

C19: variant of mum ¹

Origin of mummy²

C14: from Old French momie, from Medieval Latin mumia, from Arabic mūmiyah asphalt, from Persian mūm wax

Example Sentences

Analyzing other nonroyal mummies from ancient Egypt may reveal how common mud shells were, who used them and why.

From Science News

Torchlight bags from Big Agnes offer an expandable twist on the mummy design to provide the best of both worlds.

From Popular-Science

Until now, this type of procedure had mostly been seen in human mummies.

From Science News For Students

Ancient embalmers often opened the mouths and eyes of mummies so the dead could see and communicate with the living, but previously this kind of procedure had primarily been seen in human mummies.

From Science News

Ancient people in Great Britain made their own mummies, for instance.

From Science News For Students

In recent years, away from the screen, Hurley has reinvented herself as a yummy mummy.

From The Daily Beast

Some families have one mummy, some families have one daddy, or two families.

From The Daily Beast

Kashkari instead agreed with the Los Angeles Times' Matt Pearce that he looks like “the mummy from The Mummy.”

From The Daily Beast

In pictures taken after the attack, she was wrapped up like a mummy.

From The Daily Beast

But our plan is to dress our son up as a mummy and take him through the neighborhoods to do his thing.

From The Daily Beast

Her whole soul hangs upon the lips of a beautiful baby doll that seems to be calling her his mummy.

From Project Gutenberg

He calls him a mummy, and describes him as being dead long ago and having lately also married.

From Project Gutenberg

He is an animated mummy, who used to fish on the Nile three thousand years ago, and catch nothing.

From Project Gutenberg

His pleasant, youthful face was drawn to mummy-like wanness.

From Project Gutenberg

This was to act as the protector Khepra, of the ka or immaterial vitality of the sahu or mummy.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• dwindle
• shrink
• wilt
• wither