Mum vs Bum - What's the difference?
mum | bum |
(UK, Australia, Canada, New England, informal) Mother.
* 1993 , Hilda Hollingsworth, Places of Greater Safety , Zenobia Press edition,
* 2004 , Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Patty Hansen, Irene Dunlap, Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul 2 ,
* 2006 , ,
* 2011 , Chyna, FAM: Rolling in a London Girl Gang ,
(dated) A term of respect for an older woman.
* 1840 , , Volume 1, 1851,
* 1885 , , 2011,
(colloquial) silent.
* Shakespeare
(colloquial) secret.
stop speaking! hush!
* Shakespeare
to act in a pantomime or dumb show
(obsolete) silence
A sort of strong beer, originally made in Brunswick, Germany.
The buttocks.
(UK, Irish, AU, New Zealand, informal, rare, Canada, US) The anus.
(by metonymy, informal) A person.
(UK, transitive, colloquial) To sodomize; to engage in anal sex.
(label) An expression of annoyance.
* 2010 , Jill Mansell,
(North America, colloquial) A hobo; a homeless person, usually a man.
(North America, Australia, colloquial) A lazy, incompetent, or annoying person, usually a man.
* 1987 , (The Pogues) - (Fairytale of New York)
(North America, Australia, colloquial, sports) A player or racer who often performs poorly.
* 2001 , (Laura Hillenbrand) -
(colloquial) A drinking spree.
(colloquial) To ask someone to give one (something) for free; to beg for something.
(colloquial) To behave like a hobo or vagabond; to loiter.
(transitive, slang, British) To wet the end of a marijuana cigarette (spliff).
Of poor quality or highly undesirable.
Unfair.
Injured and without the possibility of full repair, defective.
Unpleasant.
To depress; to make unhappy.
To make a murmuring or humming sound.
(obsolete) A bumbailiff.
* 1705 , (Bernard Mandeville), The Fable of the Bees :
As a proper noun mum
is one's mother.As a noun bum is
the buttocks or bum can be (north america|colloquial) a hobo; a homeless person, usually a man or bum can be (dated) a humming noise or bum can be (obsolete) a bumbailiff.As a verb bum is
(uk|transitive|colloquial) to sodomize; to engage in anal sex or bum can be (colloquial) to ask someone to give one (something) for free; to beg for something or bum can be to depress; to make unhappy or bum can be to make a murmuring or humming sound.As an interjection bum is
(label) an expression of annoyance.As an adjective bum is
of poor quality or highly undesirable .mum
English
Alternative forms
* mam * mom, Mom (US) * MumEtymology 1
Alternative form of mam, or an abbreviation of mummy. Compare mom, mama.Noun
(en noun)page 278,
- 'Ooh Mum', Auntie don?t allow smokin’ - Pat?s eyes were round with awe as ' Mum struck a match.
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.
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 !
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.
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!”
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?”
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 alsoEtymology 2
Abbreviation of chrysanthemum.Etymology 3
From (etyl) mum or .Adjective
(-)- The citizens are mum , and speak not a word.
Derived terms
* keep mum * mum's the wordInterjection
- Mum , then, and no more.
Verb
(mumm)Noun
(-)- (Hudibras)
Etymology 4
(etyl) Mummere, named after Christian Mumme, who first brewed it in 1492.Noun
(-)- (Addison)
- The clamorous crowd is hushed with mugs of mum . — Alexander Pope.
Anagrams
* * English palindromes ----bum
English
Etymology 1
1387,Noun
(en noun)- Okay, everyone sit on your bum and try and touch your toes.
Quotations
* (English Citations of "bum")Usage notes
* In the United States and Canada, bum'' is considered the most appropriate term when speaking to young children, as in ''Everyone please sit on your bum and we'll read a story.'' For older children and teenagers, especially males, as well as adults, the term (butt) is the most common term except in professional contexts such as medical, legal, and scientific where (buttocks) is generally used or (gluteus maximus), (gluteus medius), etc. for the muscles specifically. ''Glutes]]'' is often used in sports medicine and bodybuilding. ''Ass'' (US derivation of Old English ''[[arse, arse ) is considered somewhat vulgar in North America, whereas (backside), (behind), and (bottom) are considered to be old-fashioned and non-specific terms.Synonyms
* (buttocks or anus) arse , ass (North America), backside, behind, bottom, bum (North America), butt (North America), heinie (North America), fanny (North America), tush (North America), tushie (North America) ** (buttocks specifically) butt cheeks (North America), buttocks (technical), cheeks, glutes (muscles), gluteus maximus (primary muscles) ** (anus specifically) anus (technical), arsehole , asshole (North America) * See alsoVerb
(bumm)Interjection
(en-interjection)Sheer Mischief:
- Maxine tried hers. 'Oh bum ,' she said crossly. 'The sugar isn't sugar. It's salt.'
Derived terms
* bum bum * bumhole * bums in seats *Etymology 2
1864,Noun
(en noun)- ''Fred is becoming a bum - he's not even bothering to work more than once a month.
- That mechanic's a bum - he couldn't fix a yo-yo.
- That guy keeps interrupting the concert. Throw the bum out!
- You're a bum
- You're a punk
- You're an old slut on junk
- Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed
- Trade him to another team, he's a bum !
- Seabiscuit, wrote another reporter, “was a hero in California and a pretty fair sort of horse in the midwest. In the east, however, he was just a ‘bum ’”
Synonyms
* (hobo) hobo, homeless person, tramp, vagrant, wanderer, vagabond * (lazy person) loafer, bumpkin, footler, idler, lout, yob, yobbo, layabout * (drinking spree) binge, bender * See also * See alsoVerb
(bumm)- Can I bum a cigarette off you?
- I think I'll just bum around downtown for awhile until dinner.
Synonyms
* cadge (British)Adjective
(bummer)- bum note
- bum deal
- I can't play football anymore on account of my bum knee.
- He had a bum trip on that mescaline.
Quotations
* (English Citations of "bum")Synonyms
* (defective) duff (UK)Derived terms
* bum around * bum bailiff * bum rap * bum's rush * on the bumEtymology 3
Verb
(bumm)References
*Etymology 4
See boom.Verb
(bumm)- (Jamieson)
Etymology 5
Abbreviations.Noun
(en noun)- About her Chariot, and behind, / Were Sergeants, Bums of every kind, / Tip-staffs, and all those Officers, / That squeeze a Living out of Tears.