mummy

mummy
mummy1
/mum"ee/, n., pl. mummies, v., mummied, mummying.
n.
1. the dead body of a human being or animal preserved by the ancient Egyptian process or some similar method of embalming.
2. a dead body dried and preserved by nature.
3. a withered or shrunken living being.
4. a dry, shriveled fruit, tuber, or other plant organ, resulting from any of several fungous diseases.
v.t.
5. to make into or cause to resemble a mummy; mummify.
[1350-1400; ME mummie < ML mummia < Ar mumiyah mummy, lit., bitumen < Pers mum wax]
mummy2
/mum"ee/, n., pl. mummies. Chiefly Brit.
mother.
[1815-25; MUM4 + -Y2]

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Body embalmed or preserved for burial in the manner of the ancient Egyptians.

The process varied from age to age in Egypt, but it always involved removing the internal organs, treating the body with resin, and wrapping it in linen bandages. (In later Egyptian times, the organs were replaced after treatment.) Among the many other peoples who practiced mummification were those of the Torres Strait, near Papua New Guinea, and the Incas.

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  body embalmed (embalming), naturally preserved, or treated for burial with preservatives after the manner of the ancient Egyptians. The process varied from age to age in Egypt, but it always involved removing the internal organs (though in a late period they were replaced after treatment), treating the body with resin, and wrapping it in linen bandages. (See embalming.) Among the many other peoples who practiced mummification were the people living along the Torres Strait, between Papua New Guinea and Australia, and the Incas (Inca) of South America.

      There was a widespread belief that Egyptian mummies were prepared with bitumen (the word comes from the Arabic mūmiyah ‘bitumen'), which was supposed to have medicinal value. Throughout the Middle Ages, “mummy,” made by pounding mummified bodies, was a standard product of apothecary shops. In course of time it was forgotten that the virtue of mummy lay in the bitumen, and spurious mummy was made from the bodies of felons and suicides. The traffic in mummy continued in Europe until the 18th century.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Mummy — Mum my (m[u^]m m[y^]), n.; pl. {Mummies} (m[u^]m m[i^]z). [F. momie; cf. Sp. & Pg. momia, It. mummia; all fr. Per. m[=u]miy[=a], fr. m[=u]m wax.] 1. A dead body embalmed and dried after the manner of the ancient Egyptians; also, a body preserved …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Mummy & Me — Directed by Jithu Joseph Produced by Jithin Arts Starring …   Wikipedia

  • mummy — mummy1 [mum′ē] n. pl. mummies [Fr momie < ML mumia < Ar mūmiyāʾ, embalmed body, mummy < Pers mum, wax] 1. a dead body preserved by embalming, as by the ancient Egyptians 2. any dead body that has been naturally well preserved 3. any thin …   English World dictionary

  • mummy — Ⅰ. mummy [1] ► NOUN (pl. mummies) Brit. informal ▪ one s mother. ORIGIN perhaps an alteration of earlier MAMMY(Cf. ↑M). Ⅱ. mummy [2] ► …   English terms dictionary

  • Mummy — Mum my, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Mummied}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Mummying}.] To embalm; to mummify. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Mummy — For other uses, see Mummy (disambiguation). An Egyptian mummy kept in the Vatican Museums. A mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness… …   Wikipedia

  • mummy — [[t]mʌ̱mi[/t]] mummies 1) N FAMILY Some people, especially young children, call their mother mummy. [BRIT, INFORMAL] I want my mummy... Mummy, I m tired!... Mummy says I can play out in the garden. (in AM, use mommy) 2) N COUNT A mummy is a dead… …   English dictionary

  • mummy —    A word used by young children to their mother. Boys usually stop using this form by the age of twelve or so, though usage varies with each family. Girls, especially middle class girls, are likely to continue using it much longer. Examples of… …   A dictionary of epithets and terms of address

  • mummy — {{11}}mummy (n.1) c.1400, medicine prepared from mummy tissue, from M.L. mumia, from Arabic mumiyah embalmed body, from Pers. mumiya asphalt, from mum wax. Sense of embalmed body first recorded in English 1610s. Mummy wheat (1842) was said to be… …   Etymology dictionary

  • mummy — I. noun (plural mummies) Etymology: 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 Date:… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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