mummy

1 of 2

noun

mum·​my ˈmə-mē 

plural mummies

1

a

: a body embalmed or treated for burial with preservatives in the manner of the ancient Egyptians

b

: a body unusually well preserved

2

: one resembling a mummy

mummy

2 of 2

chiefly British spelling of mommy

Examples of mummy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science, known for its kid-friendly exhibits on mummies, space, dinosaurs, gems and minerals, offers one of the city’s best views of the mountains from its giant rear windows. —Steve Knopper, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2024

The opening scene does this extremely literally by revealing that the Salem Seven hunting Agatha are, in fact, the otherworldly offspring of the witches Agatha turned into mummies. —Caroline Framke, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2024

Get The Recipe 10 of 25 Oreo Cookie Balls These Oreo cookie balls resemble mummies, and that's a good enough reason to serve them up at your Halloween party. —Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 27 Oct. 2024

Woolly rhino fossils are abundant, but their mummies are exceedingly rare. —Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 17 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English mummie powdered parts of a mummified body used as a drug, from Anglo-French mumie, from Medieval Latin mumia mummy, powdered mummy, from Arabic mūmiya bitumen, mummy, from Persian mūm wax

First Known Use

Noun

1615, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

mummy

noun

mum·​my

ˈməm-ē

plural mummies

1

: a body prepared for burial in the manner of the ancient Egyptians

2

: an unusually well-preserved body