Definition of 'mum'
Word Frequency
mum in British English 1
noun
mainly British an informal word for mother1
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
C19: a child's word
Word Frequency
mum in British English 2
adjective
1.
keeping information to oneself; silent
noun
2. See mum's the word
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
C14: suggestive of closed lips
Word Frequency
mum in American English 2
verb intransitiveWord forms: mummed or ˈmumming
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin
< OFr momer < momo, echoic for grimace (as in Sp momo)
Word Frequency
mum in American English 3
US
noun
Informal
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word Frequency
mum in American English 5
adjective
silent; not speaking
Idioms:
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin
ME momme, echoic of sound made with the lips closed
Word Frequency
mum in American English 1
(mʌm)
adjective
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[1350–1400; ME momme; imit.]Word Frequency
mum in American English 2
(mʌm)
Also: mumm
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[1350–1400; ME mommen, v. use of mum1; cf. MD mommen to act the mummer's part]Word Frequency
mum in American English 3
(mʌm)
noun
a chrysanthemum
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[shortened form]Word Frequency
mum in American English 4
(mʌm)
noun
chiefly Brit
mother
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word Frequency
mum in American English 5
(mʌm)
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[1630–40; ‹ G Mumme, said to have been named after the brewer who made it]Word Frequency
mum in American English 6
(mʌm)
noun
chiefly Brit
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[var. of ma'am]Examples of 'mum' in a sentence
mum
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mum
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In other languages
mum
British English: mum
/mʌm/ NOUN
Your mum is your mother. You can call your mum 'Mum'.
He misses his mum.
- American English: mom /ˈmɒm/
- Arabic: مَامَا
- Brazilian Portuguese: mamãe
- Chinese: 妈妈
- Croatian: mama
- Czech: máma
- Danish: mor
- Dutch: mam
- European Spanish: mamá
- Finnish: äiti
- French: maman
- German: Mutti
- Greek: μαμά
- Italian: mamma
- Japanese: ママ
- Korean: 엄마
- Norwegian: mamma
- Polish: mama
- European Portuguese: mamã
- Romanian: mami
- Russian: мама
- Latin American Spanish: mamá
- Swedish: mamma
- Thai: แม่
- Turkish: anne
- Ukrainian: мама
- Vietnamese: mẹ
Browse alphabetically
mum
Related terms of
mum
Source
Definition of mum from the Collins English Dictionary
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