deaf-and-dumb

[ def-uhn-duhm ]

/ ˈdɛf ənˈdʌm /

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adjective Offensive.

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The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.

affect

effect

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Origin of deaf-and-dumb

1150–1200; Middle English def and doumb

usage note for deaf-and-dumb

See dumb.

Words nearby deaf-and-dumb

deadwork, dead zone, deaerate, deaf, deaf aid, deaf-and-dumb, deaf as a post, deaf-blind, deafen, deafening, deafferentation

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for deaf-and-dumb

As an example of good science-and-society policymaking, the history of fluoride may be more of a cautionary tale.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
As this list shows, punishments typically run to a short-ish jail sentence and/or a moderately hefty fine.
In Defense of Blasphemy|Michael Tomasky|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Yes, Byrd—dead four-and-a-half years now—was a Kleagle in the Ku Klux Klan.
Steve Scalise and the Right’s Ridiculous Racial Blame Game|Michael Tomasky|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
However, not all awful, astoundingly dumb political memes are created equal.
Political Memes That Absolutely Must Die in 2015|Asawin Suebsaeng|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Later that night, that same black-and-red banner would be seen again—in the column of marchers chanting for dead cops.
The Monsters Who Screamed for Dead Cops|Jacob Siegel|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The sound of my step shall make your heart jump; a look from me shall make you dumb for an hour.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
She also practises etching, pen-and-ink drawing, as well as crayon and water-color sketching.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
Her female friend immediately said, "Well, I have been talking away to this dumb man."
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
No law of that country must exceed in words the number of letters in their alphabet, which consists only in two-and-twenty.
Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift
Sometimes dumb-bells, compact sheaves of fine needles, and irregular rhizome forms are seen (Fig. 40).
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd

British Dictionary definitions for deaf-and-dumb

deaf-and-dumb

/ offensive /

adjective

unable to hear or speak

noun

a deaf person without speech

usage for deaf-and-dumb

Using deaf-and-dumb to refer to people without speech is considered outdated and offensive, and should be avoided. The phrase profoundly deaf is a suitable alternative in many contexts

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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deaf-and-dumb

adjective Offensive.

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QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!

Origin of deaf-and-dumb

usage note for deaf-and-dumb

Words nearby deaf-and-dumb

Example sentences from the Web for deaf-and-dumb

British Dictionary definitions for deaf-and-dumb

adjective

noun

usage for deaf-and-dumb