mummy

¹ American  

[muhm-ee] / ˈmʌm i /

noun

plural

mummies

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.

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verb (used with object)

mummied, mummying

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

mummy ² American  

[muhm-ee] / ˈmʌm i /

noun

Chiefly British Informal.

plural

mummies

1. mommy.

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mummy ¹ British  

/ 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

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mummy ² British  

/ ˈmʌmɪ /

noun

1. a child's word for mother 1

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Other Word Forms

• unmummied adjective

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

“And people are using it or they would have admitted it. All right. We’ll set a guard around the house till they’ve turned to mummies.”

From Literature

There was certainly reason—mummies were burned for fuel by early grave robbers.

From The Wall Street Journal

As warm as July, too warm to be bound up like a mummy under my shirt.

From Literature

A study led by chemists at the University of Bristol found that the smell associated with mummies is not simply the result of aging or decay.

From Science Daily

"My twins are not sleeping at night. They tell me 'mummy I am scared to sleep because when I close my eyes I see Ibrahima'."

From BBC

Related Words

• dwindle
• shrink
• wilt
• wither