dʌm adj. 1 a (of a person)
unable to
speak, usu.
because of a
congenital defect or deafness. b (of an animal)
naturally unable to speak (our dumb friends). 2 silenced by
surprise, shyness, etc. (struck dumb by
this revelation). 3
taciturn or reticent,
esp. insultingly (dumb insolence). 4 (of an
action etc.) performed
without speech. 5 (often in comb.) giving no
sound; without
voice or
some other property normally belonging to things of
the name (a dumb piano). 6 colloq. esp. US
stupid;
ignorant. 7 (usu. of a
class,
population, etc.) having no voice in
government;
inarticulate (the dumb masses). 8 (of a
computer terminal etc.)
able only to
transmit data to or
receive data
from a computer;
not programmable (opp. INTELLIGENT). ødumb animals animals, esp. as objects of
pity. dumb-bell 1 a
short bar
with a
weight at
each end, used
for exercise, muscle-building, etc. 2 sl. a stupid
person, esp. a
woman. dumb
blonde a
pretty but stupid blonde woman. dumb
cluck sl. a stupid person. dumb
crambo see CRAMBO. dumb-iron the curved side-piece of a motor-vehicle
chassis, joining it to the
front springs. dumb piano Mus. a
silent or
dummy keyboard. dumb
show 1
significant gestures or
mime, used
when words are
inappropriate. 2 a
part of a
play in
early drama, acted in mime. dumb
waiter 1 a
small lift for carrying
food, plates,
etc.,
between floors. 2 a
movable table, esp. with revolving
shelves, used in a dining-room. øødumbly adv. dumbness n. [OE: orig. unkn.:
sense 6 f. G dumm]