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

Some mummies died as newborns or in their youth while others lived to adulthood. —Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 24 June 2024

In 1935, a Metropolitan Museum of New York archeological expedition working near Luxor in Egypt came across a mysterious mummy. —Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Aug. 2024

Randall Thompson, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Medicine, who has studied ancient mummies using CT scans to learn about the origins of cardiovascular disease, called the study helpful and detailed. —Katie Hunt, CNN, 2 Aug. 2024

Exploring an ancient burial complex in southern Egypt, archaeologists unearthed dozens of tombs still filled with coffins, mummies and artifacts. —Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 24 June 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