Mumps
/mʌmps/noun
A contagious viral disease that causes swelling of the salivary glands, especially the parotid glands.
Did you know?The word was once used for a condition of sulking or grumbling, likely because the illness could leave sufferers with a clenched, puffy, miserable expression.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*meu-
“to make a low sound, murmur, or mutter”
Old English
English
mum
“silent, hushed; also used as a low, closed-mouth sound”
16th Century
English
mump
“to grimace, pout, or whine; later, to sulk or mutter”
Late 16th Century
English
mumps
“a fit of sulking or a gloomy mood; later applied to the illness”
Modern English
English
mumps
“the viral disease causing swelling of the salivary glands”