exhume

verb

ex·​hume ig-ˈzüm How to pronounce exhume (audio)
igz-ˈyüm,
iks-ˈ(h)yüm How to pronounce exhume (audio)
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 noun
exhumer
ig-ˈzü-mər How to pronounce exhume (audio)
igz-ˈyü-
iks-ˈ(h)yü-
noun

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 In another attempt to identify the victims, the DPAA in 2015 exhumed the unidentified remains of the Oklahoma crew from the Punchbowl. Simrin Singh, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2024 The German war graves commission exhumed an unknown number of bodies after the war, and according to Mr. James, Alderney still has two mass gravesites. Claire Moses, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 In 1961, the bodies were exhumed and sent to mainland Europe for reburial. Rebecca Panovka, Harper's Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024 Dexter Wade was exhumed from a grave that bore only a number, for a formal funeral and reburial. Jon Schuppe, NBC News, 20 Nov. 2023 Her body was exhumed in 2017, and DNA testing was done, officials said. Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2024 Her body was exhumed in March 2017, and forensic professionals completed an autopsy, dental examination and other tests. Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Feb. 2024 The burials at Lincoln Cemetery include several dozen bodies that were exhumed from the only other Black cemetery in town. Kellie B. Gormly, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Feb. 2024 But for a community founded by Black steel workers, the health consequences of Bethlehem Steel’s run are top of mind, and worries about exhuming that legacy are potent. Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'exhume.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of exhume was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near exhume

Cite this Entry

“Exhume.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exhume. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

exhume

verb
ex·​hume igz-ˈ(y)üm How to pronounce exhume (audio)
iks-ˈ(h)yüm
exhumed; exhuming
: to remove from a place of burial
exhumation noun

Medical Definition

exhume

transitive verb
exhumed; exhuming
: disinter
the body was exhumed for an autopsy

More from Merriam-Webster on exhume

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