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

For instance, the earliest burials from the 25th Dynasty were of individual burials (mummies 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17) with men and women often separated, although the authors caution against reading too much into that evidence. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026

The recent research, published in the journal Science, centers on Chilean mummies whose ancient DNA yielded evidence of smallpox infections dating to the early colonial period. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026

The third tomb consists of a rectangular well leading to a small hall or reception area believed to have been used to prepare mummies for burial. — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 13 Aug. 2026

By comparing the mummies’ viral traces with historical examples, Nakagome and colleagues saw that the virus experienced an extended period of genetic alterations until the 16th century. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 30 July 2026

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

Rhymes for mummy

• chummy
• crummy
• dummy
• gummy
• ramie
• rummy
• tummy
• yummy

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