mummy

Etymology 1

From Middle English mummie, from Anglo-Norman mumie, from Middle French momie, from Medieval Latin mumia, from Arabic مُومِيَاء (mūmiyāʔ), from Persian مومیا (mumyâ), from موم (mum, “wax”). Doublet of mumijo.

noun

1. (countable) An embalmed human or animal corpse wrapped in linen bandages for burial, especially as practised by the ancient Egyptians and some Native American tribes.
   1832, Royal Society (Great Britain), Abstracts of The Papers Printed in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, From 1800 to 1830 inclusive, Volume 1: 1800-1814, page 201, […] Mr. Pearson proceeds to give a particular description of the very perfect mummy of an Ibis, which forms the chief subject of the present paper.
   But, more horrible, I had not failed to note that its purplish gleaming body resembled that of a human being - or of a chrysalis encasing one - or of a mummy! 1930, Sax Rohmer, The Day the World Ended, published 1969, page ii. 17
   Many people believed in the curse of the mummy, and soon, the curse had become an accepted part of Tut′s legend. 2008, Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, Mysteries Unwrapped: The Real Monsters, page 2
2. (countable, by extension) A reanimated embalmed human corpse, as a stock character in horror films.
   For many, mummies fascinate more than repel. Our horrific connotations lie not so much with the mummy itself, but in associated fears. The mummy serves, of course, as a general reminder of our own mortality and our fear of death, but this alone is not enough to make it a monster. 2007, S. T. Joshi, Icons of Horror and the Supernatural: An Encyclopedia of Our Worst Nightmares, volume 1, page 376
3. (countable, by extension) Any naturally preserved human or animal body.
4. (countable, uncountable, now rare) A brown pigment originally prepared from the ground-up remains of Egyptian animal or human mummies mixed with bitumen, etc.
5. (uncountable, now rare) A pulp.
   Going up to him, therefore, he laid hold on his lance, and breaking it, began to thresh him so severely, that, in spite of the resistance of his armour, he was almost beaten into mummy […]. 1755, Miguel de Cervantes, translated by Tobias Smollett, Don Quixote, Volume 1, I.4
   You may beat them to a mummy, you may put them upon the rack, you may burn them on a gridiron, […] yet you will never remove them from that innate fidelity […] 1837, Mathew Carey, Vindiciae Hibernicae, page 116
6. (uncountable, medicine, now historical) A substance used in medicine, prepared from mummified flesh.
   Yet another scatological medicament was obtained from mummy, the material derived from a dried or embalmed human corpse, the most valuable being that imported from Mizraim (ancient Egypt). 1978, Benjamin Walker, Encyclopedia of Metaphysical Medicine, Routledge, page 253
   Nonetheless, his book advertises many Paracelsian remedies, including laudanum, mummy, antimony and mercury. 2006, Philip Ball, The Devil's Doctor, Arrow, published 2007, page 360
7. (uncountable, horticulture, obsolete) A sort of wax used in grafting.

verb

1. (transitive, dated) To mummify.

Etymology 2

Diminutive of mum, related to mom and mommy, from mother.

noun

1. (chiefly UK, usually childish) mother.
   Oh, mummy, would you like the loveliest daughter-in-law in the world? Oh, mummy, I must marry Flora Dewsley. But I know I am not nearly good enough, mummy. She knows nothing of the world and its wickedness, and I — Well, mummy, at school, a fellow learns everything. And no man is perfect, is he, mummy?[…] 1926, John Steinbeck, The Saturday Evening Post, volume 198, page 9
   Meeting mummy after this visit was not exactly easy. 1927, Harper's Magazine, volume 155, page 188
   “[…]What′s your problem, you little shit? Proud of yourself, for ruining Mummy′s life?” I was careful to use the insipid falsetto the experts commend. “You′ve got Daddy snowed, but Mummy′s got your number. You're a little shit, aren′t you?″ 2003, Lionel Shriver, We Need to Talk About Kevin, published 2010, unnumbered page
   2004, Dennis Child, Psychology and the Teacher, Continuum International Publishing, page 91, ‘ […] We have to ask mummy if we can go to Rajah′s mummy′s house (Rajah′s mummy is the owner of the dog). We can if mummy says “yes”. […] ’
   Darla stared at her father and said, Mummy, Mummy, Mummy! Marjorie wheezed and said, Father. You. Are. Filthy! Joe said Daddy′s muddy! Daddy′s muddy! Darla stared at the darkened doorway where Howard stood, saying, Mummy, Mummy, Mummy, each time a little louder, each time a bit more shrilly,[…]. 2009, Paul Harding, Tinkers, published 2010, unnumbered page