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mum
1[ muhm ]
interjection
- (used to demand immediate silence.)
mum
2[ muhm ]
verb (used without object)
- to say “mumâ€; call for silence.
- to act as a mummer.
mum
3[ muhm ]
noun
mum
4[ muhm ]
noun
mum
5[ muhm ]
noun
- a strong beer or ale, first made in Brunswick, Germany.
mum
6[ muhm ]
noun
mum
1/ ³¾ÊŒ³¾ /
noun
- an informal word for mother 1
mum
2/ ³¾ÊŒ³¾ /
adjective
- keeping information to oneself; silent
noun
- mum's the wordsilence or secrecy is to be observed
mum
3/ ³¾ÊŒ³¾ /
verb
- intr to act in a mummer's play
mum
4/ ³¾ÊŒ³¾ /
noun
- obsolete.a type of beer made from cereals, beans, etc
˜yÐÄvlog History and Origins
Origin of mum1
Origin of mum2
Origin of mum3
Origin of mum5
˜yÐÄvlog History and Origins
Origin of mum1
Origin of mum2
Origin of mum3
Origin of mum4
Idioms and Phrases
- mum's the word, do not reveal what you know (about something); keep silent:
Mum's the word, or the surprise party won't be a surprise.
Example Sentences
"But I really don't think that for me, anything has changed about them, they are still mum and dad," she says.
Vicki told me that in her mum's final days in hospital she was repeatedly offered the option of Maid by medical staff, describing it as like a "sales pitch".
Mr Bigger said his mum had been getting no special treatment and "needs to up her game a bit".
Laura Roan, a single mother of two daughters from Cardiff, said: "Without my own mum helping, there would be some days when I would not have any electric."
Sophie, a young mum, thinks investing in defence is now "necessary in the world we live in".
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More About Mum
What doesÌýmum mean?
Mum is an adjective that means keeping quiet. It can also be used by itself to mean Be quiet!
This sense of mum is especially used in the expressions keep mum and mum’s the word.Ìý
In the U.K. and other places, mum is used as a word for mom or madam. It’s also commonly used as a short way of saying chrysanthemum, a type of flower.
Example: Mum’s keeping mum—I can’t get a word out of her!
Where doesÌýmum come from?
Mum in the sense of “silent†comes from the Middle English word momme, which is probably imitative of the sound that a closed mouth makes. Go ahead—try it. It sounds like mumbling, right? Well, the word mumble is based on the same word.
Most likely, your mum has told you not to mumble. And she’s probably also told you on many occasions to keep quiet, or keep mum. The idea behind the instruction—and the origin of the word—is that the mouth should be closed. Somewhat relatedly, the word for mother in many languages around the world begins with the m sound, which is also made with the mouth closed (and is one of the first sounds babies learn how to make).
When used to mean “madam,†mum is a variation of ³¾²¹â€™a³¾, which is a shortening of madam.
Mum can also be used as a verb meaning to “act as a mummer,†a kind of costumed performer.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to mum?
- mums (plural noun, as in the flowers)
- mummy (equivalent to mommy)
What are some synonyms for mum?
What are some words that share a root or word element with mum?Ìý
What are some words that often get used in discussing mum?
Ìý
How isÌý mum used in real life?
Mum is often used in a critical way to suggest a suspicious silence. It frequently gets used in political contexts.
i tried to keep mum on the lakers so the rest of laker twitter didnt eat me alive. but I can no longer stay silent. the lakers are in trouble .. they’ve been in trouble & vogel is in denial 😩 yeeesh. goodnight
— BrittanyBets (@brittany_bets)
Cool. Mum’s the word. On a related note, when would you like to go thru social media onboarding training, where we learn that @‘ing said studio does in fact counteract the desire of NOT telling them?
I have time before and after lunch on Thursday. Let me know. 🤷â€â™‚ï¸
— Zachary Levi (@ZacharyLevi)
Try not to revise too much over the weekend. Quality not quantity. Have an early night. See your friends. Call your mum. Go outside. Eat real food.
— Uni of Liverpool Library (@LivUniLibrary)
Ìý
Ìý
Try usingÌýmum!
Which of the following words is an antonym (opposite) of mum?
A. quiet
B. loud
C. silent
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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