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 That assumption proved to be unfounded six years later when the truth came to light and Mengele’s remains were exhumed for analysis by international experts. Josh Weiss, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024 First bodies exhumed from mass graves at Al-Shifa Hospital after Israeli siege Al-Shifa became a flashpoint in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza and now lies in ruins following a 14-day Israeli siege in March. Helen Regan, CNN, 2 July 2024 Compelling us to search and exhume? The strongest sequences in Viet and Nam present new ways to understand this grisly inheritance. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 Months later, his body was exhumed after the family called for an independent autopsy and funeral, but officials removed his body without family members present. Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for exhume 

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 3 Nov. 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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