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

But after thousands of years, Chinchorro mummies are beginning to decay. —Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 13 Nov. 2023

They’re made from sturdy cardboard, and prints include every kind of Halloween creature imaginable: pumpkins, witches, a full moon, skeletons, mummies, a haunted house, and more. —Stephanie Osmanski, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2023

Lima is full of rich archaeological sites; several other mummies have been found in and around the city this year. —Christopher Parker, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Sep. 2023

Workers installing natural gas lines or water mains have found mummies, sometimes children, inside large clay vessels. —Franklin BriceÑo, USA TODAY, 16 June 2023

The Ride, riders wield virtual fireballs within a blazingly fun, interactive shooting gallery, while the Lost Kingdom Adventure offers a shoot-'em-up target game with mummies and skeletons that react to your every move. —Carlye Wisel, Travel + Leisure, 31 Oct. 2023

Anubis was also known as the guardian of the dead, so mummies were buried with amulets adorned with a jackal. —Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 31 Oct. 2023

Researchers have found the remains of more than a dozen Inca human sacrifices in the Andes, including three child mummies on top of the Llullaillaco volcano at the Chile-Argentina border. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Oct. 2023

Workers installing new gas lines outside Lima, Peru uncovered eight mummies and objects dating back to pre-Inca times last week. —Greg Wehner, Fox News, 25 Sep. 2023

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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