mummy

1 of 2

noun

mum·​my ˈmə-mē How to pronounce mummy (audio)
plural mummies
Synonyms of mummynext
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
That small body swathed like a mummy, our blind flight over the treetops, the prospect of disappearing in the middle of the jungle without a trace—all this converged to focus a singular intensity on the moment. Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026 The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces’ two-year occupation of Khartoum has also seen 4,000 items looted from the Sudan National Museum, including mummies dating from 2,500 BC. Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026 As the earliest Chinchorro mummies were children from the Camarones Valley, researchers discovered that their environment contained high levels of arsenic. Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 28 Dec. 2025 Egypt has long been a permanent fixture of the tourism circuit, its pyramids and mummies conferring an indelible allure. Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 21 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mummy

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of mummy was in 1615

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Cite this Entry

“Mummy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mummy. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on mummy

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