deaf-mute

American  

[def-myoot] / ˈdɛfˈmyut /

adjective

1. unable to hear and speak.

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noun

1. a person who is unable to hear and speak, especially one in whom inability to speak is due to congenital or early deafness.

deaf-mute British  

noun

1. a person who is unable to hear or speak See also mute 1 mutism

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adjective

1. unable to hear or speak

Sensitive Note

See dumb.

Usage

Using this word to refer to people without speech is considered outdated and offensive, and should be avoided.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

Other Word Forms

• deaf-muteness noun
• deaf-mutism noun

Etymology

Origin of deaf-mute

First recorded in 1830–40; translation of French sourd-muet

Example Sentences

“Witnesses … reported hearing deaf-mute Detainee Gantt making noises and banging on his cell door” during the night, according to charging documents.

From Seattle Times

A deaf-mute teen born with congenital cholesteatoma, Alice wanders away to pray to the oak tree, suddenly gaining the ability to hear and speak from a blindly white apparition.

From Los Angeles Times

A young servant fleeing from his master takes refuge at a dysfunctional convent in medieval Tuscany, disguising himself as a deaf-mute.

From Los Angeles Times

But Zenti remained skeptical about the claims and said in 2017 testimony — conducted as part of a separate lawsuit — that even a word like sodomization would be “hard to convey for a deaf-mute.”

From Washington Post

The mother was illiterate, and Sajid was deaf-mute, and had never had any education.

From The Guardian