mum

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See also: Mum

English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /mʌm/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Audio (AU)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ʌm

Etymology 1[edit]

Alternative form of mam, or an abbreviation of mummy. Compare mom, mama.

Noun[edit]

mum (plural mums)

  1. (UK, Ireland, Canada, New England, South Africa, India, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, informal) Mother.
    • 1987, Kerry Cue, Hang On To Your Horses Doovers, page 5:
      From the Marvel Mixmaster to the Miracle Microwave, every time a new-fangled gadget has lobbed into the Aussie kitchen, Aussie mums have changed their cooking styles accordingly.
    • 1993, Hilda Hollingsworth, Places of Greater Safety, Zenobia Press edition, page 278,
      'Ooh Mum, Auntie don′t allow smokin’ - Pat′s eyes were round with awe as Mum struck a match.
    • 2004, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Patty Hansen, Irene Dunlap, Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul 2, page 336:
      Her mum says that she is deaf and only partially sighted, so I need to go and stand in front of her, so she can see the gift.
    • 2006, Kathryn Lasky, Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Book 11: To Be a King, page 88,
      “Mum! Mum!” he shouted out. The laughter stopped. Two bright, sparkling yellow eyes peeped from the hollow. Atop her head were the fluffy ear tufts that his mum was so proud of because they were fuller and lovelier than those of most Great Horned Owls. It was indeed his mum!
    • 2011, Chyna, FAM: Rolling in a London Girl Gang, unnumbered page,
      He′s looking at my mum, at her swollen eyes, busted nose and bloodied lips. She′s mashed up something chronic, and the man who did this to her is my dad.
  2. (dated, colloquial) ma'am; a term of respect for an older woman.
    • 1840, Charles Dickens, Master Humphrey's Clock, volume 1, published 1851, page 130:
      “Wy, mum,” said Mr. Weller, “I don′t think you′ll see a many sich, and that′s the truth. But if my son Samivel vould give me my vay, mum, and dis-pense with his—might I wenter to say the vurd?”
      “What word Mr Weller?” said the housekeeper, blushing slightly.
      “Petticuts, mum,” returned that gentleman, laying his had upon the garments of his grandson. “If my son Samivel vould only dis-pense vith these here, you′d see sich a alteration in his appearance, as the imagination can′t depicter!”
    • 1885, Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, published 2011, unnumbered page:
      Then she took off the hank and looked me straight in the face, and very pleasant, and says:
      “Come, now, what′s your real name?
      “Wh — what, mum?”
      “What′s your real name? Is it Bill, or Tom, or Bob? — Or what is it?”
Usage notes[edit]

Mum is only capitalized when used as a proper noun:

  • I don't think Mum will like you.
  • I don't think my mum will like you.
  • In New England, the word may still be spelt "mom", but it will have the pronunciation of "mum".
Synonyms[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

Abbreviation of chrysanthemum.

Noun[edit]

mum (plural mums)

  1. (chiefly US) A chrysanthemum.
    • 1996, David Foster Wallace, “Democracy and Commerce at the US Open”, in Both Flesh And Not, Penguin, published 2013, page 139:
      I don't know whether that's true or whether New Yorkers are being enjoined from watering the mums in their window boxes or whatever, but I do know that there hasn't been one rain-delay in the whole tournament so far […] .
  2. (US, originally Texas) A decoration made originally of a real chrysanthemum but now usually an artificial (silk) flower combined with ribbons and marked with such indicators as the wearer's name, school name, the year, and so on; traditionally worn by girls at high school homecoming celebrations.

Etymology 3[edit]

From Middle English mum or mom (“silent”), reminiscent of the sound made when gagged or with a hand over one's mouth. Perhaps related to dated German Mumme (“mask”).

Alternative forms[edit]

  • (verb): mumm (archaic)

Adjective[edit]

mum (not comparable)

  1. (colloquial) Silent.
    • c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene vii]:
      The citizens are mum, and speak not a word.
    • 2021 November 2, Jim Tankersley, Katie Rogers, Lisa Friedman, quoting Joe Biden, “With Methane and Forest Deals, Climate Summit Offers Hope After Gloomy Start”, in The New York Times‎[1], →ISSN:
      [Vladimir Putin] has serious climate problems. And he has been mum on his willingness to do anything.
  2. (colloquial) Secret.
Derived terms[edit]

Interjection[edit]

mum!

  1. stop speaking!, stop talking!, hush!

Verb[edit]

mum (third-person singular simple present mums, present participle mumming, simple past and past participle mummed)

  1. To act in a pantomime or dumb show.
Derived terms[edit]

Noun[edit]

mum (uncountable)

  1. (obsolete) silence

Etymology 4[edit]

German Mumme

Noun[edit]

mum (uncountable)

  1. A type of strong beer, originally made in Brunswick, Germany.

Anagrams[edit]

Abinomn[edit]

Noun[edit]

mum

  1. eeltail catfish

Forak[edit]

Noun[edit]

mum

  1. breast

Further reading[edit]

Turkish[edit]

Turkish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia tr

Etymology[edit]

From Ottoman Turkish موم‎ (mum, “candle”), itself from Persian موم‎ (mum).

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

mum (definite accusative mumu, plural mumlar)

  1. candle

Declension[edit]

Inflection
Nominative mum
Definite accusative mumu
Singular Plural
Nominative mum mumlar
Definite accusative mumu mumları
Dative muma mumlara
Locative mumda mumlarda
Ablative mumdan mumlardan
Genitive mumun mumların
Possessive forms
Nominative
Singular Plural
1st singular mumum mumlarım
2nd singular mumun mumların
3rd singular mumu mumları
1st plural mumumuz mumlarımız
2nd plural mumunuz mumlarınız
3rd plural mumları mumları
Definite accusative
Singular Plural
1st singular mumumu mumlarımı
2nd singular mumunu mumlarını
3rd singular mumunu mumlarını
1st plural mumumuzu mumlarımızı
2nd plural mumunuzu mumlarınızı
3rd plural mumlarını mumlarını
Dative
Singular Plural
1st singular mumuma mumlarıma
2nd singular mumuna mumlarına
3rd singular mumuna mumlarına
1st plural mumumuza mumlarımıza
2nd plural mumunuza mumlarınıza
3rd plural mumlarına mumlarına
Locative
Singular Plural
1st singular mumumda mumlarımda
2nd singular mumunda mumlarında
3rd singular mumunda mumlarında
1st plural mumumuzda mumlarımızda
2nd plural mumunuzda mumlarınızda
3rd plural mumlarında mumlarında
Ablative
Singular Plural
1st singular mumumdan mumlarımdan
2nd singular mumundan mumlarından
3rd singular mumundan mumlarından
1st plural mumumuzdan mumlarımızdan
2nd plural mumunuzdan mumlarınızdan
3rd plural mumlarından mumlarından
Genitive
Singular Plural
1st singular mumumun mumlarımın
2nd singular mumunun mumlarının
3rd singular mumunun mumlarının
1st plural mumumuzun mumlarımızın
2nd plural mumunuzun mumlarınızın
3rd plural mumlarının mumlarının

Derived terms[edit]

Zazaki[edit]

Noun[edit]

mum

  1. candle
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