mummify

verb

mum·​mi·​fy ˈmə-mi-ˌfī How to pronounce mummify (audio)
mummified; mummifying

transitive verb

1
: to embalm and dry as or as if a mummy
2
a
: to make into or like a mummy
b
: to cause to dry up and shrivel

intransitive verb

: to dry up and shrivel like a mummy
mummification noun

Examples of mummify in a Sentence

learning how ancient Egyptians mummified their dead a body that mummified in the desert heat a body that was mummified by the desert heat
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Betsy Arakawa found partially mummified, Gene Hackman was in separate room Authorities found the actor in a mudroom near his cane, appearing to have fallen, while Arakawa was found in an open bathroom near a space heater, according to the warrant. Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2025 Arakawa’s face was bloated and her hands and feet appeared mummified, a sheriff’s deputy wrote in an affidavit. Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025 Hackman, 95, and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 64, were found partially mummified in different rooms of their $3.3 million home on Wednesday. Megan Cartwright, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025 Remains such as these are often found mummified in places such as Alaska and Russia, wrote the National Park Service or NPS on its website. Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 24 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for mummify

Word History

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mummify was in 1628

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mummify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mummify. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

mummify

verb
mum·​mi·​fy ˈməm-i-ˌfī How to pronounce mummify (audio)
mummified; mummifying
1
: to embalm and dry as or like a mummy
2
: to dry up like the skin of a mummy : shrivel
mummification noun

Medical Definition

mummify

verb
mum·​mi·​fy ˈməm-i-ˌfī How to pronounce mummify (audio)
mummified; mummifying

transitive verb

1
: to embalm and dry as or as if a mummy
2
a
: to make into or like a mummy
b
: to cause to dry up and shrivel

intransitive verb

: to dry up and shrivel like a mummy
a mummified fetus

More from Merriam-Webster on mummify

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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