exhume

verb

ex·​hume ig-ˈzüm 

igz-ˈyüm,

iks-ˈ(h)yüm 

exhumed; exhuming

transitive verb

1

: disinter

exhume a body

2

: to bring back from neglect or obscurity

exhumed a great deal of information from the archives

exhumation

ˌeks-(h)yü-ˈmā-shən 

ˌeg-zü-

ˌegz-yü- 

noun

exhumer

ig-ˈzü-mər 

igz-ˈyü-

iks-ˈ(h)yü-

noun

Synonyms

• disinter
• unearth

Examples of exhume in a Sentence

the remains of John Paul Jones were exhumed in Paris and transported with great ceremony to the U.S. Naval Academy

Recent Examples on the Web

The case went cold until 2016, when police exhumed the remains from a remote corner of a cemetery in Lebanon, Pennsylviana, to obtain her DNA. —Dalia Faheid, CNN, 24 Nov. 2024

In another effort to identify her, officials, with the help of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, exhumed the girl's body from Mount Lebanon Cemetery in May 2016. —Rebecca Cohen, NBC News, 23 Nov. 2024

In 2019, those remains were exhumed again by the DPAA. —Kerry Breen, CBS News, 25 June 2024

With Charlie Hunnam in the leading role, season 3 will dive into the haunting story of Ed Gein, a notorious 1950s murderer who not only took multiple lives but also exhumed graves to create household and clothing items from human remains. —Jordana Comiter, People.com, 23 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin exhumare, from Latin ex out of + humus earth — more at ex-, humble

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

exhume

verb

ex·​hume igz-ˈ(y)üm 

iks-ˈ(h)yüm

exhumed; exhuming

: to remove from a place of burial

exhumation

ˌeks-(h)yü-ˈmā-shən 

ˌegz-(y)ü-

noun

Medical Definition

exhume

transitive verb

ex·​hume igz-ˈ(y)üm  iks-ˈ(h)yüm 

exhumed; exhuming

: disinter

the body was exhumed for an autopsy

exhumation

ˌeks-(h)yü-ˈmā-shən  ˌegz-(y)ü- 

noun