Dictionary Thesaurus Word Dynamo Quotes Reference Translator Spanish

mum

[muhm]

Example Sentences Origin

Mumm Products www.sixpackrings.com 6 Pack Rings, Bottle Carriers Packaging and liquor store supplies

Los Angeles - Mums www.local.com Find Mums in Los Angeles' Online Local Search

Dictionary.com Free Toolbar Dictionary.com Define Mum Instantly. Faster Page Loads With Fewer Ads.

Ads

adjective

silent; not saying a word: to keep mum.

interjection

say nothing! be silent!

:10

:09

:08

:07

:06

:05

:04

:03

:02

:01

Mum is always a great word to know.

So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:

a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.

an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.

LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

Idiom

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.

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English momme; imitative

Example Sentences

The results will startle those who think that children benefit from having a stay-at-home mum.

Of course, everyone involved is keeping mum about the new product.

He won't land for months yet, as everyone stays mum while federal funders and others investigate.

EXPAND

The results will startle those who think that children benefit from having a stay-at-home mum.

Of course, everyone involved is keeping mum about the new product.

He won't land for months yet, as everyone stays mum while federal funders and others investigate.

Danny let his mum stay up in his room that night, because she was too afraid to come downstairs at all.

His dad turns out not to be his real dad and his mum is nice only because she is having an affair and doesn't want the kid to rat.

We will surely miss u mum and your generousity and hardwork will be missed much more.

Although they found the answer, scientists had to keep mum until the agency completed its inquiry.

Sony has so far remained mum on the subject of a follow up.

Staying home to care for mum has taken its toll on him.

And in case you might need some extra justification for what others have said on keeping mum on the politics, consider this.

Although he has kept mum on his own political ambitions, he is thought to have his eye on becoming prime minister or president.

My mum didn't care that he was a wizard because she loved him too much.

My mum has had breast cancer and this is a real issue of concern for me so far non of this has helped me fined an answer.

It's standard procedure to inform jurors to remain mum and not conduct any research about the case until a verdict.

As to the nature of this rapport, both the catalogue and the work remain mum.

Maybe there is nothing that the university could do to me for keeping mum.

NationsBank has remained mum on the number of branches and employees it intends to shed.

Museum staff are mum on the prospect of securing a shuttle.

The guys are keeping mum on the bike's performance and specs.

When a show is this mum about its aspirations, it is a pleasant sensation when the work is challenging and full of alacrity.

They all know where they are, but they're keeping mum.

My mum helped sew costumes for my friends and everyone got involved.

The crime is well-publicized, but fortunately the equally seedy residents there keep mum.

My mum has one with a cat on the screen that you stroke and she loves it.

But the company has remained mum about its international plans for the reader.

If they ask at check-in whether you're willing to get bumped, stay mum.

The auto maker is being mum about the price tag on the extravaganza.

Both sides are keeping mum on the target size of their venture and on the desired mix of staff.

COLLAPSE

Dictionary.com Unabridged

verb (used without object), mummed, mum·ming.

to say “mum”; call for silence.

to act as a mummer.

Also, mumm.

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English mommen, v. use of mum¹; compare Middle Dutch mommen to act the mummer's part

noun

chrysanthemum.

Origin:
shortened form

noun Chiefly British.

mother.

Origin:
1815–25; nursery word; see mom

noun

a strong beer or ale, first made in Brunswick, Germany.

Origin:
1630–40; < German Mumme, said to have been named after the brewer who made it

noun Chiefly British.

madam.

Origin:
variant of ma'am

Link To mum

Collins

World English Dictionary

mum¹ (mʌm)

—n
	chiefly (Brit) an informal word for mother

[C19: a child's word]

mum² (mʌm)

—*adj*
1.	keeping information to oneself; silent

—n
2.	mum's the word silence or secrecy is to be observed

[C14: suggestive of closed lips]

mum or mumm³ (mʌm)

—vb , mums, mumming, mummed
	(intr) to act in a mummer's play

[C16: verbal use of mum²]

mumm or mumm³

—vb

[C16: verbal use of mum²]

mum⁴ (mʌm)

—n
	obsolete (Brit) a type of beer made from cereals, beans, etc

[C17: from German Mumme, perhaps from the name of its original brewer]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

mum

1560s, from M.E. mum, mom "silent" (late 14c.), imitative of the sound made with closed lips, as indicative of unwillingness or inability to speak. Phrase mum's the word is first recorded 1704.

EXPAND

mum

abbreviation of chrysanthemum, first attested 1924 in the jargon of gardeners.

COLLAPSE

mum

1823, pet word for "mother," short for mummy. In British sociology, used from 1957 in ref. to "the working class mother as an influence in the lives of her children."

Word Dynamo By Dictionary.com

Searching for mum?
How many words do you actually know?

FIND OUT

Matching Quote

"She really is a woman just like my mum."

-Cliff Richard

Partners:Word Bloglines Citysearch The Daily Beast Ask Answers Ask Kids Life123 Sendori Thesaurus

About Privacy Policy Terms of Use API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Help