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 while San Francisco may have the famous California Academy of Sciences, San Jose boasts the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, with mummies and a robot version of Thoth, ancient “Keeper of the Mysteries.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Writing on Instagram, Rachel Duffy said she was "heartbroken" at the death of her "beautiful wee mummy".

From BBC

"Because Rachel wanted to get in there and get that money for mummy and what she wanted it for meant that it meant so much more than just the money," she added.

From BBC

That she was going to end up like the people in the cars—a black mummy buried in the ash of the mountain forests she loved so much.

From Literature

Unbeknown to him, Jessica's gaze had caught on a little girl in a rainbow skirt, confused, scared and alone - calling out for her mummy and daddy.

From BBC

Related Words

• dwindle
• shrink
• wilt
• wither