mummification
/ˌmʌmɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
mummification means the preserving of a dead body, by making it into a mummy. It carries an Arena rating of 1272, earned across 6 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, mummification ranks #180 of 13,217 for Scariest Words, #344 of 13,217 for Most Ponderous Words, #836 of 13,217 for Most Vivid Words, #1,111 of 13,217 for Words That Escaped Their Books.
mummification is pronounced /ˌmʌmɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/.
Why “mummification” is a great word
MUMMIFICATION — [Noun] The process or practice of preserving a dead body, especially by desiccation and the application of preservatives, to prevent decay. From 'mummify' (to make into a mummy, from 'mummy' + '-fy') + the noun-forming suffix '-ication', after French 'momification'. First attested in English in 1793. Unlike embalming, which is a broader, often temporary chemical treatment, or cremation, which is a consumptive reduction to ash, mummification is a protracted, ritualized arrest of time. It is the scent of natron and resin in a dim workshop, the patient unspooling of linen bandages in a precise, sacred geometry, and the austere, leather-bound repose of a face that has outlasted empires. It is the most literal denial of entropy humankind has ever devised.
Etymology
From mummify + -ication, after French momification.
noun
- The preserving of a dead body, by making it into a mummy.“Mummification is not reserved exclusively for humans. Cats, dogs, and even crocodiles often get the same treatment—complete with animal-shaped coffins and painted faces.”
- The practice of wrapping a person's arms, torso, and legs in order to restrict their movement.
Words closest in meaning
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