different between mum vs mom
mum
English
Alternative forms
- mam
- mom, Mom (US)
- Mum
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /m?m/
- Rhymes: -?m
Etymology 1
Alternative form of mam, or an abbreviation of mummy. Compare mom, mama.
Noun
mum (plural mums)
- (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.
- 1993, Hilda Hollingsworth, Places of Greater Safety, Zenobia Press edition, page 278,
- (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?”
- 1840, Charles Dickens, Master Humphrey's Clock, Volume 1, 1851, page 130,
Usage notes
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".
Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:mother
Translations
Etymology 2
Abbreviation of chrysanthemum.
Noun
mum (plural mums)
- A chrysanthemum.
Etymology 3
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 dated German Mumme (“mask”).
Alternative forms
- (verb): mumm (archaic)
Adjective
mum (not comparable)
- (colloquial) Silent.
- (colloquial) Secret.
Derived terms
- keep mum
- mum's the word
Interjection
mum!
- stop speaking!, stop talking!, hush!
Verb
mum (third-person singular simple present mums, present participle mumming, simple past and past participle mummed)
- To act in a pantomime or dumb show.
Noun
mum (uncountable)
- (obsolete) silence
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Hudibras to this entry?)
Etymology 4
German Mumme, named after Christian Mumme, who first brewed it in 1492.
Noun
mum (uncountable)
- A type of strong beer, originally made in Brunswick, Germany.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Addison to this entry?)
Anagrams
- MMU, umm
Abinomn
Noun
mum
- eeltail catfish
Forak
Noun
mum
- breast
Further reading
- John Carter, Katie Carter, John Grummitt, Bonnie MacKenzie, Janell Masters, A Sociolinguistic Survey of the Mur Village Vernaculars (2012)
Turkish
Etymology
From Persian ???? (mum).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /mum/
Noun
mum (definite accusative mumu, plural mumlar)
- candle
Declension
Derived terms
- mumluk
Zazaki
Noun
mum
- candle
mum From the web:
- what mummy makes
- what mums are perennials
- what mumps
- what mum means
- what mummification means
- what mummies look like
- what mummy sounds like
mom
English
Alternative forms
- mam
- Mom
- mum, Mum (Australian, British, Irish)
Etymology
Abbreviation of momma.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /m?m/
- (US) enPR: m?m, IPA(key): /m?m/
- (Canada) IPA(key): /m?m/
- Rhymes: -?m
Noun
mom (plural moms)
- (Canada, US, West Midlands, colloquial, familiar) mother.
- (informal) An adult female owner of a pet.
Verb
mom (third-person singular simple present moms, present participle momming or moming, simple past and past participle mommed or momed)
- (informal) To care in a motherly way.
Usage notes
- "Mom" is capitalized when used as a proper noun, but not when used as a common noun:
- I think Mom likes my new car.
- I think my mom will like you.
Derived terms
Translations
See also
- Mother’s Day
- Appendix:American Dialect Society words of the year
Anagrams
- MMO
Dutch
Pronunciation
Noun
mom f or m or n (plural mommen, diminutive mommetje n)
- mask
- a specific kind of beer
Derived terms
- mombakkes
- mommer
- vermommen
Nisenan
Noun
mom
- water
References
- Andrew Eatough, Central Hill Nisenan Texts with Grammatical Sketch
White Hmong
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /m????/
Etymology
Compare Mandarin ? (mào).
Noun
mom
- hat
mom From the web:
- what moms want for christmas
- what mommy
- what moms like
- what momentum
- what moms love
- what momma don't know waterboy
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