mumming

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   An old folk tradition in which masked performers visit houses or streets to act out short plays, often around Christmas.

   Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun: 'They performed mumming.' Not 'a mumming' unless you mean one particular event, which is rare.

   Patterns

   • perform mumming
   • the tradition of mumming
   • mumming plays

   In some English villages, mumming still takes place every December.

   The museum exhibit explained the history of mumming and its costumes.

   Scholars have studied mumming as a form of community theater.

2. 2nouncountable

   The activity or performance of a mummer; a single instance of this folk play.

   Grammar: Countable when referring to a specific performance: 'We watched a mumming in the town square.'

   Patterns

   • a mumming
   • watch a mumming

   The group put on a mumming for the local festival.

   Each mumming lasted about twenty minutes.

Common combinations

mumming play

The mumming play featured a dragon and a doctor.

mumming tradition

The mumming tradition dates back to the Middle Ages.

mumming group

A mumming group toured the pubs on Christmas Eve.

go mumming

In the past, young men would go mumming from door to door.

Synonyms and how they differ

mummery

Mummery often means a ridiculous or pretentious ceremony, not the folk custom; use 'mumming' for the actual tradition.

guising

Guising is a similar Scottish and Irish custom of going house to house in disguise, especially at Halloween; mumming is more associated with Christmas plays.

Word family

mummer noun

A person who takes part in mumming.

mum verb

To act in a mumming play; also to be silent.

Commonly confused: mumming or mumbling?

Practice

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