mum


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mum 1

 (mŭm)
adj.
Not verbalizing; silent.
interj.
Used as a command to stop speaking.
Idiom:
mum's the word
Say nothing of the secret you know: Mum's the word on the surprise party.

[Middle English mom, mum, perhaps imitative of closing one's lips.]

mum 2

(mŭm)
intr.v. mummed, mum·ming, mums
1. To act or play in a pantomime.
2. To go merrymaking in a mask or disguise especially during a festival.

[Middle English mummen, from Old French momer, to masquerade, mum, probably imitative of the indistinct, muffled voices of mummers behind their masks.]

mum 3

 (mŭm)
n. Chiefly British
Mother.

[Short for mummy.]

mum 4

 (mŭm)
n.
A chrysanthemum.

mum 5

 (mŭm)
n.
A strong beer originally brewed in Brunswick, Germany.

[German Mumme.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

mum

(mʌm)
n
chiefly Brit an informal word for mother1
[C19: a child's word]

mum

(mʌm)
adj
keeping information to oneself; silent
n
mum's the word silence or secrecy is to be observed
[C14: suggestive of closed lips]

mum

(mʌm) or

mumm

vb, mums, mumming or mummed
(Theatre) (intr) to act in a mummer's play
[C16: verbal use of mum2]

mum

(mʌm)
n
(Brewing) 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 and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

mum1

(mʌm)

adj.
silent: to keep mum.
[1350–1400; Middle English momme]

mum2

(mʌm)

v.i. mummed, mum•ming.
to act as a mummer.
[1350–1400; Middle English mommen, v. use of mom mum1]

mum3

(mʌm)

n.
[1920–25; shortened form]

mum4

(mʌm)

n.
[1815–25; see mom]

mum5

(mʌm)

n.
a strong beer or ale.
[1630–40; < German Mumme]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

mum


Past participle: mummed
Gerund: mumming

Imperative
mum
mum
Present
I mum
you mum
he/she/it mums
we mum
you mum
they mum
Preterite
I mummed
you mummed
he/she/it mummed
we mummed
you mummed
they mummed
Present Continuous
I am mumming
you are mumming
he/she/it is mumming
we are mumming
you are mumming
they are mumming
Present Perfect
I have mummed
you have mummed
he/she/it has mummed
we have mummed
you have mummed
they have mummed
Past Continuous
I was mumming
you were mumming
he/she/it was mumming
we were mumming
you were mumming
they were mumming
Past Perfect
I had mummed
you had mummed
he/she/it had mummed
we had mummed
you had mummed
they had mummed
Future
I will mum
you will mum
he/she/it will mum
we will mum
you will mum
they will mum
Future Perfect
I will have mummed
you will have mummed
he/she/it will have mummed
we will have mummed
you will have mummed
they will have mummed
Future Continuous
I will be mumming
you will be mumming
he/she/it will be mumming
we will be mumming
you will be mumming
they will be mumming
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been mumming
you have been mumming
he/she/it has been mumming
we have been mumming
you have been mumming
they have been mumming
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been mumming
you will have been mumming
he/she/it will have been mumming
we will have been mumming
you will have been mumming
they will have been mumming
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been mumming
you had been mumming
he/she/it had been mumming
we had been mumming
you had been mumming
they had been mumming
Conditional
I would mum
you would mum
he/she/it would mum
we would mum
you would mum
they would mum
Past Conditional
I would have mummed
you would have mummed
he/she/it would have mummed
we would have mummed
you would have mummed
they would have mummed
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.mum - of Chinamum - of China        
chrysanthemum - any of numerous perennial Old World herbs having showy brightly colored flower heads of the genera Chrysanthemum, Argyranthemum, Dendranthema, Tanacetum; widely cultivated
2.mum - informal terms for a mothermum - informal terms for a mother    
female parent, mother - a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother); "the mother of three children"
3.mum - secrecy; "mum's the word"
secrecy, secretiveness, silence - the trait of keeping things secret
Adj.1.mum - failing to speak or communicate etc when expected to; "the witness remained silent"
incommunicative, uncommunicative - not inclined to talk or give information or express opinions
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

mum

adjective silent, quiet, dumb, mute, secretive, uncommunicative, unforthcoming, tight-lipped, closemouthed I'd be in trouble if I let on. So I kept mum.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

mum

adjective
Temporarily unable or unwilling to speak, as from shock or fear:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
mámamamimaminka
mor
äiti
mama
mamma
ママ
엄마
mamytė
māmiņamammīte
mami
mami
mamma
แม่
mẹ

mum

1 [mʌm] N (Brit) (= mother) → mamá f, mamaíta f, mamacita f (LAm)
I'll ask Mumle preguntaré a mamá
my mummi mamá

mum

2 [mʌm] ADJ to keep mum (about sth)guardar silencio (sobre algo)
everybody is keeping mum about itnadie suelta prenda sobre el asunto
mum's the word!¡punto en boca!, ¡ni una palabra a nadie!
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

mum

[ˈmʌm]
n (British)
(= mother) → maman f
my mum → ma mère
her mum → sa mère
(used as name)maman f
Mum! → Maman!
I'll ask Mum → Je vais demander à maman.
adj
to keep mum → ne pas souffler mot
Mum's the word! → Motus et bouche cousue!
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

mum

1
n, adj (inf) mum ’s the word!nichts verraten! (inf); to keep or stay mumden Mund halten (→ about über +acc) (inf)

mum

2
n (Brit inf) (= mother)Mutter f; (as address) → Mutti f (inf)

mum

3
n (US inf: = chrysanthemum) → Chrysantheme f
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

mum

1 [mʌm] n (Brit) (fam) (mother) → mamma

mum

2 [mʌm] adj to keep mum (about sth)non fare parola (di qc), non aprire bocca (su qc)
mum's the word! → acqua in bocca!
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

mum, mummy1,

mummy1

(plural ˈmummies) (ˈmam(i)) noun
a child's name for his or her mother. Goodbye, Mum(my)!; Where's your mum(my), John?
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

mum

مَامَا máma mor Mutti μαμά mamá äiti maman mama mamma ママ 엄마 mam mamma mama mamã, mamãe мама mamma แม่ anne mẹ 妈妈
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
References in classic literature ?
"Don't you be uneasy, mum," said Bob, touching his cap.
I'd just as soon tell you who I am, though, if you'll swear to keep mum, for I ain't no Phillips, either."
All the servants were instructed to address her as "Mum," or "Madam"-- and there was one little maid, on her promotion, who persisted in calling her "My Lady," without any rebuke on the part of the housekeeper.
It don't make any difference WHAT happens, we got to keep mum. We'd drop down dead -- don't YOU know that?"
"Please to don't poke fun at a poor girl like me, mum. If I'm in the way here, I'll --"
Don't say you don't know that, Mum. Howsever, the boy went there to play.
She had hardly time to greet Rose and the doctor before the boys were about her, each clamouring for her to see his gift and rejoice over it with him, for "little Mum" went halves in everything.
'I think she might have been mistrustful, mum,' answered Sloppy, hesitating.
'Wery nigh, mum.' And indeed, after scraping the dish all round with his knife and carrying the choice brown morsels to his mouth, and after taking such a scientific pull at the stone bottle that, by degrees almost imperceptible to the sight, his head went further and further back until he lay nearly at his full length upon the ground, this gentleman declared himself quite disengaged, and came forth from his retreat.
Before the first stroke had died away, Sandy Jim had loosed his plane and was reaching his jacket; Wiry Ben had left a screw half driven in, and thrown his screwdriver into his tool-basket; Mum Taft, who, true to his name, had kept silence throughout the previous conversation, had flung down his hammer as he was in the act of lifting it; and Seth, too, had straightened his back, and was putting out his hand towards his paper cap.
'Not a bit on it, mum,' replied Sam.--'Is it, shepherd?'
"Her father'sh in difficultiesh, and mum's the word, my dear." To that answer he adhered, in spite of all that I could say to him.