---

• n  congenital deafness that results in inability to speak

• But so-called congenital deaf-mutism is actually a misnomer because inborn defects of the vocal cords that make speech impossible are almost unknown.
• Scarcely a finger was crooked concerning the causes of deaf-mutism (chiefly whooping cough, scarlet fever, various types of meningitis, severe falls).

• deaf-muteness