01 a. Destitute of the power of speech; unable; to utter articulate sounds; as, the dumb brutes.
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1.
Destitute of the power of speech; unable; to utter articulate sounds; as, the dumb brutes.“To unloose the very tongues even of dumb creatures.” — Hooker.
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2.
Not willing to speak; mute; silent; not speaking; not accompanied by words; as, dumb show.“This spirit, dumb to us, will speak to him.” — Shak.“To pierce into the dumb past.” — J. C. Shairp.
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3.
Lacking brightness or clearness, as a color.[R.]“Her stern was painted of a dumb white or dun color.” — De Foe.
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4.
Lacking intelligence; having poor judgment; stupid; dull-witted; -- of persons.
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5.
Exhibiting poor judgment or lack of wisdom; leading predictably to unfavorable consequences; -- of actions.
Phrases & compounds
Deaf and dumb —
See Deaf-mute.
Dumb ague —
a form of intermittent fever which has no well-defined “chill.”
Dumb animal —
any animal except man; -- usually restricted to a domestic quadruped; -- so called in contradistinction to man, who is a “speaking animal.”
Dumb cake —
a cake made in silence by girls on St. Mark's eve, with certain mystic ceremonies, to discover their future husbands.
Dumb cane —
a west Indian plant of the Arum family (Dieffenbachia seguina), which, when chewed, causes the tongue to swell, and destroys temporarily the power of speech.
Dumb crambo —
See under crambo.
Dumb show —
Formerly, a part of a dramatic representation, shown in pantomime.
To strike dumb —
to confound; to astonish; to render silent by astonishment; or, it may be, to deprive of the power of speech.
Syn.
Silent; speechless; noiseless. See Mute.