Chapter Dulcoration to Duncify of D by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

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.

3. Lacking brightness or clearness, as a color. [R.]

Her stern was painted of a dumb white or dun color.

De Foe.

Deaf and dumb. See Deaf-mute. — Dumb ague, or Dumb chill, a form of intermittent fever which has no well-defined "chill." [U.S.] — 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. Halliwell. — Dumb cane (Bot.), a west Indian plant of the Arum family which, when chewed, causes the tongue to swell, and destroys temporarily the power of speech. - - Dumb crambo. See under crambo. — Dumb show. (a) Formerly, a part of a dramatic representation, shown in pantomime. "Inexplicable dumb shows and noise." Shak. (b) Signs and gestures without words; as, to tell a story in dumb show. — 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.

Dumb
(Dumb), v. t. To put to silence. [Obs.] Shak.

Dumb-bell
(Dumb"-bell`) n. A weight, consisting of two spheres or spheroids, connected by a short bar for a handle; used (often in pairs) for gymnastic exercise.

Dumbledor
(Dum"ble*dor`) n. [The first part is prob. of imitative origin. See Dor a beetle.] (Zoöl.) A bumblebee; also, a cockchafer. [Prov. Eng.]

Dumbly
(Dumb"ly) adv. In silence; mutely.

Dumbness
(Dumb"ness), n. The quality or state of being dumb; muteness; silence; inability to speak.

Dumb-waiter
(Dumb"-wait`er) n. A framework on which dishes, food, etc., are passed from one room or story of a house to another; a lift for dishes, etc.; also, a piece of furniture with movable or revolving shelves.

Dumetose
(Du"me*tose`) a. [From L. dumetum a thicket.] (Bot.) Dumose.

Dumfound
(Dum"found`) v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dumfounded; p. pr. & vb. n. Dumfounding.] To strike dumb; to confuse with astonishment. [Written also dumbfound.] Spectator.

Dumfounder
(Dum"found`er) v. t. To dumfound; to confound. [Written also dumbfounder.]

Dummador
(Dum"ma*dor`) n. A dumbledor.

Dummerer
(Dum"mer*er) n. One who feigns dumbness. [Obs.] Burton.

Dummy
(Dum"my) a. [See Dumb.]

1. Silent; mute; noiseless; as a dummy engine.

2. Fictitious or sham; feigned; as, a dummy watch.

Dummy car. See under Car.