mummy-case

A museum visitor looks at an ancient mummy-case.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A container or covering designed to hold a mummified body, especially in ancient Egyptian burial practices. This term refers specifically to the outer casing or box that encloses a mummy, distinct from the inner wrappings or sarcophagus.

Usage Examples

• (A container for a mummified body.)
• (The outer casing of a mummy.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be in a mummy-case": to be enclosed within such a container.

  • The pharaoh's body rested in a gilded mummy-case for millennia. (The body was preserved inside the casing.)

• "mummy-case decoration": refers to the artistic designs or inscriptions on the exterior of the casing.

  • The mummy-case decoration included hieroglyphs and images of the gods. (The artwork on the casing.)

Variants and Related Words

• Mummy (n): a preserved dead body, especially one treated with chemicals in ancient Egypt.

  • The mummy was unwrapped for scientific study. (The preserved body.)

• Case (n): a container or covering for storing or protecting something.

  • The artifact was stored in a protective case. (A box or covering.)

• Sarcophagus (n): a stone coffin, often decorated, used for burial in ancient times.

  • The sarcophagus was made of granite and weighed several tons. (A stone burial container.)

Synonyms

• Coffin: a long, narrow box in which a dead body is buried or cremated.
• Casket: a decorative or elaborate coffin, often made of wood or metal.
• Container: a receptacle for holding something.

Related Idioms

• "To be wrapped in a mummy-case": (figurative, rare) to be completely enclosed or protected.

  • The old documents were wrapped in a mummy-case of secrecy. (They were kept hidden and secure.)

• "Mummy-case silence": a state of total stillness or quiet, as if preserved.

  • The room fell into a mummy-case silence after the announcement. (Complete and eerie quiet.)