Mum″my (mŭm″my̆), n.; pl.Mummies (#). [F. momie; cf. Sp. & Pg. momia, It. mummia; all fr. Per. mūmiyā, fr. mūm wax.] 1. A dead body embalmed and dried after the manner of the ancient Egyptians; also, a body preserved, by any means, in a dry state, from the process of putrefaction. Bacon.
2. Dried flesh of a mummy. Sir. J. Hill.
3. A gummy liquor that exudes from embalmed flesh when heated; — formerly supposed to have magical and medicinal properties. Shak.Sir T. Herbert.
4. A brown color obtained from bitumen. See Mummy brown (below).
5. (Gardening) A sort of wax used in grafting, etc.
6. One whose affections and energies are withered.
Mummy brown, a brown color, nearly intermediate in tint between burnt umber and raw umber. A pigment of this color is prepared from bitumen, etc., obtained from Egyptian tombs. — Mummy wheat(Bot.), wheat found in the ancient mummy cases of Egypt. No botanist now believes that genuine mummy wheat has been made to germinate in modern times. — To beat to a mummy, to beat to a senseless mass; to beat soundly.