mum

¹

[ muhm ]

adjective

1. silent; not saying a word:

   to keep mum.

interjection

1. (used to demand immediate silence.)

mum

²

or mumm

[ muhm ]

verb (used without object)

, mummed, mum·ming.

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

mum

³

[ muhm ]

noun

1. chrysanthemum.

mum

⁴

[ muhm ]

noun

, Chiefly British.

1. mom ( def 1 ).

mum

⁵

[ muhm ]

noun

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

mum

⁶

[ muhm ]

noun

, Chiefly British.

1. madam.

mum

¹

/ mʌm /

noun

1. an informal word for mother 1

mum

²

/ mʌm /

verb

1. intr to act in a mummer's play

mum

³

/ mʌm /

adjective

1. keeping information to oneself; silent

noun

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

mum

⁴

/ mʌm /

noun

1. obsolete.
   a type of beer made from cereals, beans, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of mum¹

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

Origin of mum²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English mommen, verb use of mum ¹; compare Middle Dutch mommen ”to act the mummer's part”

Origin of mum³

First recorded in 1890–95; shortened form

Origin of mum⁴

First recorded in 1815–25; nursery word; mom

Origin of mum⁵

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

Origin of mum⁶

Variant of ma'am

Word History and Origins

Origin of mum¹

C19: a child's word

Origin of mum²

C16: verbal use of mum ²

Origin of mum³

C14: suggestive of closed lips

Origin of mum⁴

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. 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.

Example Sentences

"We split everything 50-50 and even then I am sometimes living month-to-month. I sometimes borrow money from my mum. Lots of my cohort live by themselves so it's worse for them."

From BBC

In a Facebook post, its staff sent their "deepest sympathy to her mum, dad and brothers at this heartbreaking time".

From BBC

However, Selin Akdenez, who is a single mum and drives an SUV, says parking in London is already expensive, and the prospect of paying more for residential parking is something that she couldn’t afford.

From BBC

Just before giving birth to her son in 2021, she went to stay with her mum for an extended period so that she "actually did sleep and the clothes were washed", said Michelle.

From BBC

“I wish I could say sorry to my mum for what I did,” he said.

From BBC

Related Words

• bashful

More About Mum

What does mum mean?

Mum is an adjective that means keeping quiet. It can also be used by itself to mean Be quiet!

This sense of mum is especially used in the expressions keep mum and mum’s the word. 

In the U.K. and other places, mum is used as a word for mom or madam. It’s also commonly used as a short way of saying chrysanthemum, a type of flower.

Example: Mum’s keeping mum—I can’t get a word out of her!

Where does mum come from?

Mum in the sense of “silent” comes from the Middle English word momme, which is probably imitative of the sound that a closed mouth makes. Go ahead—try it. It sounds like mumbling, right? Well, the word mumble is based on the same word.

Most likely, your mum has told you not to mumble. And she’s probably also told you on many occasions to keep quiet, or keep mum. The idea behind the instruction—and the origin of the word—is that the mouth should be closed. Somewhat relatedly, the word for mother in many languages around the world begins with the m sound, which is also made with the mouth closed (and is one of the first sounds babies learn how to make).

When used to mean “madam,” mum is a variation of ma’am, which is a shortening of madam.

Mum can also be used as a verb meaning to “act as a mummer,” a kind of costumed performer.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to mum?

• mums (plural noun, as in the flowers)
• mummy (equivalent to mommy)

What are some synonyms for mum?

• quiet
• silent
• shut up
• closemouthed
• tight-lipped
• reserved
• secretive
• chrysanthemum
• madam

What are some words that share a root or word element with mum? 

• mumble

What are some words that often get used in discussing mum?

 

• silence
• mother
• mom
• flower

How is  mum used in real life?

Mum is often used in a critical way to suggest a suspicious silence. It frequently gets used in political contexts.

i tried to keep mum on the lakers so the rest of laker twitter didnt eat me alive. but I can no longer stay silent. the lakers are in trouble .. they’ve been in trouble & vogel is in denial 😩 yeeesh. goodnight

— BrittanyBets (@brittany_bets) February 9, 2020

Cool. Mum’s the word. On a related note, when would you like to go thru social media onboarding training, where we learn that @‘ing said studio does in fact counteract the desire of NOT telling them?

I have time before and after lunch on Thursday. Let me know. 🤷‍♂️ https://t.co/bilYoCYBND

— Zachary Levi (@ZacharyLevi) July 23, 2018

Try not to revise too much over the weekend. Quality not quantity. Have an early night. See your friends. Call your mum. Go outside. Eat real food.

— Uni of Liverpool Library (@LivUniLibrary) May 17, 2019

 

 

Try using mum!

Which of the following words is an antonym (opposite) of mum?

A. quiet
B. loud
C. silent