mum

• mam
• mom, Mom (US)
• Mum

• IPA^(key): /mʌm/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌm

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

mum (plural mums)

1. (Britain, Australia, New England, Canada, informal) Mother.
   • 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, 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, 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?”

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."

• See also Thesaurus:mother

Abbreviation of chrysanthemum.

mum (plural mums)

1. A chrysanthemum.

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 German Mumme (“mask”).

mum (not comparable)

1. (colloquial) silent.
   • Shakespeare

     The citizens are mum, and speak not a word.

2. (colloquial) secret.

• keep mum
• mum's the word

mum!

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

     Mum, then, and no more.

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

mum (uncountable)

1. (obsolete) silence

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Hudibras to this entry?)

German Mummere, named after Christian Mumme, who first brewed it in 1492.

mum (uncountable)

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 A sort of strong beer, originally made in Brunswick, Germany.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Addison to this entry?)

   • Alexander Pope

     The clamorous crowd is hushed with mugs of mum.

• MMU, umm

mum

1. eeltail catfish

mum

1. breast

• John Carter, Katie Carter, John Grummitt, Bonnie MacKenzie, Janell Masters, A Sociolinguistic Survey of the Mur Village Vernaculars (2012)

From Persian موم‎ (mum).

• IPA^(key): /mum/

mum (definite accusative mumu, plural mumlar)

1. candle

• mumluk

mum

1. candle