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Dumb vs Fat - What's the difference?

dumb | fat |

As an adjective dumb

is (label) unable to speak; lacking power of speech.

As a verb dumb

is to silence.

As a noun fat is

.

dumb

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) dumb, from (etyl) . In ordinary spoken English, a phrase like "He is dumb" is interpreted as "He is stupid" rather than "He lacks the power of speech". The latter example, however, is the original sense of the word. The senses of stupid'', ''unintellectual'', and ''pointless developed under the influence of the (etyl) word dumm.

Adjective

(er)
  • (label) Unable to speak; lacking power of speech.
  • * Hooker
    • to unloose the very tongues even of dumb creatures
  • (label) Silent; unaccompanied by words.
    • dumb show
  • * Shakespeare
    • This spirit, dumb to us, will speak to him.
  • *
  • * J. C. Shairp
    • to pierce into the dumb past
  • extremely stupid.
    • You are so dumb ! You don't even know how to make toast!
  • (label) Pointless, foolish, lacking intellectual content or value.
    • This is dumb ! We're driving in circles! We should have asked for directions an hour ago!
    Brendan had the dumb job of moving boxes from one conveyor belt to another.
  • Lacking brightness or clearness, as a colour.
  • * De Foe
    • Her stern was painted of a dumb white or dun color.
    Synonyms
    * (unable to speak) dumbstruck, mute, speechless, wordless * (stupid) feeble-minded, idiotic, moronic, stupid * banal, brainless, dopey, silly, stupid, ridiculous, vulgar
    Derived terms
    * dumb as a box of rocks * dumben * dumbhood * dummy * dumbness

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) dumbien, from (etyl) dumbian (more commonly in compound .

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To silence.
  • * 1911 , Lindsay Swift, William Lloyd Garrison , p. 272,
    • The paralysis of the Northern conscience, the dumbing of the Northern voice, were coming to an end.
  • To make stupid.
  • * 2003 , Angela Calabrese Barton, Teaching Science for Social Justice , p. 124,
    • I think she's dumbing us down, so we won't be smarter than her.
  • To represent as stupid.
  • * 2004 , Stephen Oppenheimer, The Real Eve: Modern Man's Journey Out of Africa , p. 107,
    • Bad-mouthing Neanderthals . . . is symptomatic of a need to exclude and even demonize. . . . I suggest that the unproven dumbing of the Neanderthals is an example of the same cultural preconception.
  • To reduce the intellectual demands of.
  • * 2002 , Deborah Meier, In Schools We Trust: Creating Communities of Learning in an Era of Testing , p. 126,
    • The ensuing storm caused the department to lower the bar—amid protests that this was dumbing the test down—so that only 80 percent of urban kids would fail.
    Derived terms
    * dumbness * dumb blonde * dumb down * dumbocracy * dumb-show * dumb terminal * dummy * play dumb

    fat

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl), from (etyl) . See (l).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) A large tub or vessel for water, wine, or other liquids; a cistern.
  • * Bible, Joel ii. 24
    • The fats shall overflow with wine[, strong drink] and oil.
  • * 1882 , James Edwin Thorold Rogers, A History of Agriculture and Prices in England , volume 4, page 429:
    • In 1431 New College purchases brewing vessels, under the names of a mash fat', for 6s. 10d., a wort ' fat for 2s., a 'Gilleding' tub for 2s. 6d., and two tunning barrels at 8d. each, a leaden boiler for 24s., another for 12s., and a great copper beer pot for 13s. 4d.
  • (obsolete) A dry measure, generally equal to nine bushels.
    • Synonyms
    * vat

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl), from (etyl) .

    Adjective

    (fatter)
  • Carrying more fat than usual on one's body; plump; not lean or thin.
  • :The fat man had trouble getting through the door.
  • :The fattest pig should yield the most meat.
  • Thick.
  • :The fat wallets of the men from the city brought joy to the peddlers.
  • *
  • *:So this was my future home, I thought!Backed by towering hills, the but faintly discernible purple line of the French boundary off to the southwest, a sky of palest Gobelin flecked with fat , fleecy little clouds, it in truth looked a dear little city; the city of one's dreams.
  • Bountiful.
  • Oily; greasy; unctuous; rich; said of food.
  • (obsolete) Exhibiting the qualities of a fat animal; coarse; heavy; gross; dull; stupid.
  • *(Ralph Waldo Emerson) (1803-1882)
  • *:making our western wits fat and mean
  • *(Bible), (w) vi. 10
  • *:Make the heart of this people fat .
  • Fertile; productive.
  • :a fat''' soil;  a '''fat pasture
  • Rich; producing a large income; desirable.
  • :a fat''' benefice;  a '''fat''' office;  a '''fat job
  • *(Thomas Carlyle) (1795-1881)
  • *:now parson of Troston, a fat living in Suffolk
  • Abounding in riches; affluent; fortunate.
  • *(Jonathan Swift) (1667–1745)
  • *:persons grown fat and wealthy by long impostures
  • (dated, printing) Of a character which enables the compositor to make large wages; said of matter containing blank, cuts, or many leads, etc.
  • :a fat''' take;  a '''fat page
    • Synonyms
    * (carrying a larger than normal amount of fat) chubby, chunky, corpulent, lardy (slang), obese, overweight, plump, porky (slang), rotund, tubby, well-fed; see also * (thick) thick * (bountiful) bountiful, prosperous
    Antonyms
    * Of sense (carrying a larger than normal amount of fat) lean, skinny, slender, slim, thin
    Derived terms
    * (l), (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) *

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • (uncountable) A specialized animal tissue with a high oil content, used for long-term storage of energy.
  • (countable) A refined substance chemically resembling the oils in animal fat.
  • That part of an organization deemed wasteful.
    • We need to trim the fat in this company
  • (slang) An erection.
    • "I saw Daniel crack a fat ."
  • (golf) A poorly played shot where the ball is struck by the top part of the club head. (see also thin, shank, toe)
  • The best or richest productions; the best part.
    • to live on the fat of the land
  • (dated, printing) Work containing much blank, or its equivalent, and therefore profitable to the compositor.
    • Synonyms
    * (animal tissue) adipose tissue, lard (in animals''; ''derogatory slang when used of human fat ) * (substance chemically resembling the oils in animal fat) grease, lard
    Derived terms
    * * fat camp * fat chance * fatten
    See also
    * ("fat" on Wikipedia)

    Verb

  • (archaic) To make fat; to fatten.
    • kill the fatted calf
  • (archaic) To become fat; to fatten.

    • Anagrams

    * 1000 English basic words ----