What is "mummy brown"

Mummy \Mum"my\ (m[u^]m"m[y^]), n.; pl. Mummies (m[u^]m"m[i^]z). [F. momie; cf. Sp. & Pg. momia, It. mummia; all fr. Per. m[=u]miy[=a], fr. m[=u]m wax.]

1. A dead body embalmed and dried after the manner of the ancient Egyptians; also, a body preserved, by any means, in a dry state, from the process of putrefaction.
   --Bacon.

2. Dried flesh of a mummy. [Obs.]
   --Sir. J. Hill.

3. A gummy liquor that exudes from embalmed flesh when heated; -- formerly supposed to have magical and medicinal properties. [Obs.]
   --Shak.
   --Sir T. Herbert.

4. A brown color obtained from bitumen. See Mummy brown (below).

5. (Gardening) A sort of wax used in grafting, etc.

6. One whose affections and energies are withered.

   Mummy brown, a brown color, nearly intermediate in tint between burnt umber and raw umber. A pigment of this color is prepared from bitumen, etc., obtained from Egyptian tombs.

   Mummy wheat (Bot.), wheat found in the ancient mummy cases of Egypt. No botanist now believes that genuine mummy wheat has been made to germinate in modern times.

   To beat to a mummy, to beat to a senseless mass; to beat soundly.

n. A brown colour, nearly intermediate between burnt umber and raw umber. A pigment of this colour was prepared from bitumen, etc., obtained from Egyptian tombs.

Mummy brown was a rich brown bituminous pigment, intermediate in tint between burnt umber and raw umber, which was one of the favorite colors of the Pre-Raphaelites.