Destitute of, unendowed with, or lacking the faculty of speech; naturally or permanently mute or dumb.

Destitute of the faculty of speech. deaf and dumb: see deaf, adj. 1e.

deaf and dumb: also used absol. (= deaf-mute, adj. n.) and thence attributive, as ‘a deaf-and-dumb alphabet’.

Of a person: lacking the power of speech; unable to speak owing to a congenital or pathological condition; dumb. (In quot. 1400 functioning as a…

Without the faculty of voice or speech, dumb, mute; also, without speaking, speechless, silent.

Having no voice; lacking the power or impulse to make vocal sounds; uttering no words or speech; dumb, mute.

Unable to speak; lacking the power of speech; (also) lacking words for expression.

Having the frænum of the tongue too short, so that its movement is impeded or confined; incapable of distinct utterance from this cause; also…

= deaf-mute, adj. n.

adj. Deaf and dumb.

Incapable of utterance; speechless. rare.

U.S. Unwilling or unable to speak.