mum
1
[ muhm ]
/ mʌm /
adjective
silent; not saying a word: to keep mum.
interjection
say nothing! be silent!
Idioms for mum
mum's the word,
do not reveal what you know (about something); keep silent: Mum's the word, or the surprise party won't be a surprise.
Origin of mum
1
1350–1400; Middle English
momme; imitative
Words nearby mum
British Dictionary definitions for mum's the word (1 of 4)
Word Origin for mum
C19: a child's word
British Dictionary definitions for mum's the word (2 of 4)
mum
2
/ (mʌm) /
adjective
keeping information to oneself; silent
noun
mum's the word
silence or secrecy is to be observed
Word Origin for mum
C14: suggestive of closed lips
British Dictionary definitions for mum's the word (3 of 4)
mum
3
mumm
/ (mʌm) /
verb mums, mumming or mummed
(intr)
to act in a mummer's play
Word Origin for mum
C16: verbal use of
mum ²
British Dictionary definitions for mum's the word (4 of 4)
mum
4
/ (mʌm) /
noun
British obsolete
a type of beer made from cereals, beans, etc
Word Origin for mum
C17: from German
Mumme, perhaps from the name of its original brewer
Idioms and Phrases with mum's the word
mum's the word
Say nothing about this, it's a secret, as in Mum's the word on tonight's surprise party. This expression dates from about 1700, but mum, meaning “silence,” is much older. In 2 Henry VI (1:2) Shakespeare wrote, “Seal up your lips, and give no words but mum.”