DUMBLY

dumbly

(adverb) in an inarticulate manner; “I nodded dumbly and he slit the envelope”

dumbly, densely, obtusely

(adverb) in a stupid manner; “he had so rapaciously desired and so obtusely expected to find her alone”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Adverb

dumbly (comparative more dumbly, superlative most dumbly)

mutely; silently

Source: Wiktionary

Dumb"ly, adv.

Definition: In silence; mutely.

DUMB

Dumb, a. Etym: [AS. dumb; akin to D. dom stupid, dumb, Sw. dumb, Goth. dumbs; cf. Gr. Deaf, and cf. Dummy.]

1. Destitute of the power of speech; unable; to utter articulate sounds; as, the dumb brutes. To unloose the very tongues even of dumb creatures. Hooker.

2. Not willing to speak; mute; silent; not speaking; not accompanied by words; as, dumb show. This spirit, dumb to us, will speak to him. Shak. To pierce into the dumb past. J. C. Shairp.

3. Lacking brightness or clearness, as a color. [R.] Her stern was painted of a dumb white or dun color. De Foe. Deaf and dumb. See Deaf-mute.

– Dumb ague, or Dumb chill, a form of intermittent fever which has no well-defined "chill." [U.S.] -- Dumb animal, any animal except man; -- usually restricted to a domestic quadruped; -- so called in contradistinction to man, who is a "speaking animal." -- Dumb cake, a cake made in silence by girls on St. Mark's eve, with certain mystic ceremonies, to discover their future husbands. Halliwell.

– Dumb cane (Bot.), a west Indian plant of the Arum family (Dieffenbachia seguina), which, when chewed, causes the tongue to swell, and destroys temporarily the power of speech.

– Dumb crambo. See under crambo.

– Dumb show. (a) Formerly, a part of a dramatic representation, shown in pantomime. "Inexplicable dumb shows and noise." Shak. (b) Signs and gestures without words; as, to tell a story in dumb show.

– To strike dumb, to confound; to astonish; to render silent by astonishment; or, it may be, to deprive of the power of speech.

Syn.

– Silent; speechless; noiseless. See Mute.

Dumb, v. t.

Definition: To put to silence. [Obs.] Shak.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition