Dictionary

exhume en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ɪɡˈz(j)um/ (US)
• (US) audio
• /ɛksˈ(h)juːm/ (UK)
• /ɛkˈs(j)um/ (US)
• /ɪɡˈzjuːm/ (UK)

Etymology

From Medieval Latin exhumō, from Latin ex- + humō (“to bury”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter.
   • The archeologist exhumed artifacts from the ground with a shovel.
   • Not so long ago a Scotsman is reported to have exhumed the body of his daughter and burnt her heart, as he thought she was devitalising her remaining brother and sister and making them ill. 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 126:
2. (figuratively, transitive) To uncover; to bring to light.
   • Long dead traditions are exhumed just for the tourists.
   • Memorial was permeated by a sense of mission, a moral imperative to exhume the truth and display it to the eyes of its compatriots, whatever feelings of shame, outrage, denial, or shock might ensue. 2009, S. E. Wilmer, Writing and Rewriting National Theatre Histories, page 47:

Forms

Antonyms

bury · inter · inhume

Deriveds

reexhume · exhumer · exhumation · unexhumed · exhumable

Synonyms

unearth · dig up · unbury · disinter

Translations (46)

sv gräva upp (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · rup dizgrop (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · sv exhumera (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · fr exhumer (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · pt exumar (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · bg ексхуми́рам (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · uk ексгумува́ти (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · ja 掘り起こす (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · fi kaivaa ylös (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · wa coir (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · de exhumieren (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · pl ekshumować (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · ru вырыва́ть (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · io dessepultar (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · bg изра́вям (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · cs exhumovat (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · pt desenterrar (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · ca exhumar (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · ru выка́пывать (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · cmn 發掘 /发掘 (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · fi paljastaa (to uncover, bring to light) · gl exhumar (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · hy արտաշիրիմել (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · is grafa upp (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · ro exhuma (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · io ekterigar (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · cy datgladdu (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · hu exhumál (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · ja 発掘する (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · ja 掘り出す (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · ga dí-adhlaic (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · haw huaʻi (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · gl desenterrar (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · mi ehu (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · mi hahu (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · mi huaki (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · ro dezgropa (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · it esumare (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · ru вы́рыть (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · es exhumar (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · ro deshuma (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · hu kiás (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · nl opgraven (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · hu kihantol (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · ru эксгуми́ровать (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter) · ru вы́копать (To dig out of the ground; to take out of a place of burial; to disinter)