| 释义 |
dumbness|ˈdʌmnɪs|
[f. as prec. + -ness.]
1. The quality or condition of being dumb; inability to speak; speechlessness; silence, muteness.
c1380Wyclif Wks. (1880) 126 To displese god bi suffrynge of opyn synne & domnpnesse. c1440Promp. Parv. 135/1 Dumnesse, mutitas, taciturnitas. c1450Cov. Myst. (Shaks. Soc.) 125 The plage of dompnesse his lippis lappyd. 1565Jewel Def. Apol. 553 (R.) This therefore is no spiritual dumbenesse. 1611Shakes. Wint. T. v. ii. 14 There was speech in their dumbnesse, Language in their very gesture. 1861E. O'Curry Lect. MS. Materials Irish Hist. 253 The spell of his dumbness was broken, and the young man spoke.
2. Stupidity; ignorance (cf. dumb a. 7 b). U.S. colloq.
1858Thoreau Jrnl. 10 Oct. in Autumn (1892) 94, I see dumb-bells in the minister's study, and some of their dumbness gets into his sermons. 1924Chicago Tribune 26 Oct. (Comics) 6 You can tell me how to take some of the dumbness outta the kid. |