mumps, epidemic parotitis
(noun) an acute contagious viral disease characterized by fever and by swelling of the parotid glands
Source: WordNet® 3.1
MUMPS
Acronym of Massachusetts General Hospital Utility Multi-Programming System; a programming language (and database) developed originally to be specifically for hierarchically arranged records, such as medical records.
mumps pl (plural only)
(pathology) A contagious disease caused by the Mumps virus of the genus Rubulavirus, mostly occurring in childhood, which causes swelling of glands in the face and neck.
(dated) A gloomy or sullen silence.
• Usually used with a singular verb.
• parotitis
mumps
Third-person singular simple present indicative form of mump
mumps
plural of mump
Source: Wiktionary
Mumps, n. Etym: [Prov. E. mump to be sulky. Cf. Mump, Mumble, and Mum.]
1. pl.
Definition: Sullenness; silent displeasure; the sulks. Skinner.
2. Etym: [Prob. so called from the patient's appearance.] (Med.)
Definition: A specific infectious febrile disorder characterized by a nonsuppurative inflammation of the parotid glands; epidemic or infectious parotitis.
Mump, v. i. Etym: [Akin to mumble; cf. D. mompen to cheat; perh. orig., to whine like a beggar, D. mompelen to mumble. See Mumble, Mum, and cf. Mumps.]
1. To move the lips with the mouth closed; to mumble, as in sulkiness. He mumps, and lovers, and hangs the lip. Taylor, 1630.
2. To talk imperfectly, brokenly, or feebly; to chatter unintelligibly.
3. To cheat; to deceive; to play the beggar. And then when mumping with a sore leg, ... canting and whining. Burke.
4. To be sullen or sulky. [Prov. Eng.]
Mump, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Mumped; p. pr. & vb. n. Mumping.]
1. To utter imperfectly, brokenly, or feebly. Old men who mump their passion. Goldsmith.
2. To work over with the mouth; to mumble; as, to mump food.
3. To deprive of (something) by cheating; to impose upon.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
31 March 2025
(adjective) done or made using whatever is available; “crossed the river on improvised bridges”; “the survivors used jury-rigged fishing gear”; “the rock served as a makeshift hammer”
The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.
