Mumming

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Mumm \Mumm\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Mummed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
     {Mumming}.] [D. mimmen to mask, mom a mask; akin to G. mumme
     disguise; prob. of imitative origin, and akin to E. mum,
     mumble, in allusion to the indistinctness of speech
     occasioned by talking from behind a mask. Cf. {Mumble},
     {Mummery}.]


     To sport or make diversion in a mask or disguise; to mask.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           With mumming and with masking all around. --Spenser.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  mumming
       See {mum}

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  mum
       adj : failing to speak or communicate etc when expected to; "the
             witness remained silent" [syn: {silent}]
       n 1: of China [syn: {florist's chrysanthemum}, {florists'
            chrysanthemum}, {Dendranthema grandifloruom}, {Chrysanthemum
            morifolium}]
       2: informal terms for a mother [syn: {ma}, {mama}, {mamma}, {mom},
           {momma}, {mommy}, {mammy}, {mummy}, {mater}]
       3: secrecy; "mum's the word"
       [also: {mumming}, {mummed}]