mummy

1. (countable) An embalmed human or non-human animal corpse wrapped in linen bandages for burial, especially as practised by the ancient Egyptians and some Native American tribes.Examples: "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."; "Leo was the first to discover what these burdens were. `Great heaven!' he said, `they are corpses on fire!' I stared and stared again - he was perfectly right - the torches that were to light our entertainment were human mummies from the caves! On rushed the bearers of the flaming corpses, and, meeting at a spot about twenty paces in front of us, built their ghastly burdens crossways into a huge bonfire."; "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!"countable

2. (countable, by extension) A reanimated embalmed human corpse, as a stock character in horror films.Examples: "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."broadlycountable

3. (countable, by extension) Any naturally preserved human or non-human animal body.Examples: "'Mummy,' that is pounded ancient Egyptian, is, I believe, a pigment much used by artists, and especially by those of them who direct their talents to the reproduction of the works of the old masters."Synonyms: mummy brownbroadlycountable

4. (countable, by extension) Any naturally preserved human or non-human animal body.Synonyms: mummy brownarchaicbroadlycountableuncountable

5. (uncountable, now rare) A pulp.Examples: "Imagine twenty thouſand of them breaking into the midſt of an European Army, confounding the Ranks, overturning the Carriages, battering the Warriors Faces into Mummy, by terrible Yerks from their hinder Hoofs."; "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 […]."; "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 […]"archaicuncountable

6. (uncountable, medicine, now historical) A substance used in medicine, prepared from mummified flesh.Examples: "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)."; "Nonetheless, his book advertises many Paracelsian remedies, including laudanum, mummy, antimony and mercury."; "In or near this place is a precious liquor, or mummy, growing, Mumnaky-koobasa they call it, which none presumes to take, it being carefully preserved for the King's sole use."historicaluncountable