deaf-mute

[ def-myoot ]

adjective
  1. unable to hear and speak.

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.

Origin of deaf-mute

1
First recorded in 1830–40; translation of French sourd-muet

usage note For deaf-mute

See dumb.

Other words from deaf-mute

  • deaf-muteness, deaf-mutism, noun

Words Nearby deaf-mute

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use deaf-mute in a sentence

  • Get out of the tower he could not; the ladder the deaf mute used was always carried away again and his food was nearly gone.

    The Little Lame Prince | Dinah Maria Mulock

British Dictionary definitions for deaf-mute

deaf-mute

noun
  1. a person who is unable to hear or speak: See also mute 1 (def. 7), mutism (def. 2b)

adjective
  1. unable to hear or speak

Origin of deaf-mute

1
C19: translation of French sourd-muet

usage For deaf-mute

Using this word to refer to people without speech is considered outdated and offensive, and should be avoided.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

Derived forms of deaf-mute

  • deaf-muteness or deaf-mutism, noun

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