a. Also 1 spæcleas, 3–5 specheles (5 -less, 6 -lesse), 6–7 speech(e)les(se. [OE. spǽcléas (f. spǽc SPEECH sb.1), = older Flem. spraeckeloos (Du. sprakeloos), MLG. (and LG.) sprâkelôs, OHG. sprâhhalôs (MHG. sprâche-, G. sprachlos).]
1. Destitute of, unendowed with, or lacking the faculty of speech; naturally or permanently mute or dumb.
a. 1000. Gloss., in Germania (1878), XI. 398/72. Spæclease vel dume, elinguia.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XV. 36. Þanne am I spirit specheles and spiritus þanne ich hatte.
1530. Palsgr., 325/2. Spechelesse, that can nat speke, muet.
c. 1586. C’tess Pembroke, Ps. CXV. iii. They mouthes, but speechlesse, have: Eyes sightlesse.
1588. Shaks., Titus A., III. ii. 39. Speechlesse complayne[r], I will learne thy thought: In thy dumb action, will I be as perfect As begging Hermits in their holy prayers.
1669. W. Holder, Elem. Speech, 115. He that never hears a word spoken, nor can be told what it signifies, it is no wonder if such an one remain speechless.
1746. Francis, trans. Horace, Sat., I. iii. 134. When the first Mortals crawling rose to Birth, Speechless and wretched, from their Mother-Earth.
1815. Shelley, Alastor, 123. He lingered,… through the long burning day Gazed on those speechless shapes.
1889. Mivart, Orig. Hum. Reason, 287. Speaking of his hypothetical speechless-man.
b. Of a state or condition: Characterized by the lack of speech.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., I. iii. 172. What is thy sentence then, but speechlesse death, Which robs my tongue from breathing natiue breath?
1819. Shelley, Cenci, V. ii. 69. She is as pure as speechless infancy!
2. a. Unable to speak on account of illness, injury, or extreme exhaustion.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 67. Wel longue he lai speche-les þene dethþ forto a-bide.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, I. iii. 39. Thenne he fyll passynge sore seke, so that thre dayes & thre nyghtes he was specheles.
1484. in Cely Papers (Camden), 155. Old Henley ys wyddowe hath beyn specheless thys daye & a hallfe.
1591. Troub. Raigne K. John (1611), B iij. Some power strike me speechlesse for a time…?
1601. Shaks., Jul. C., I. ii. 255. He fell downe in the Market-place, and foam’d at mouth, and was speechlesse.
1675. Hobbes, Odyssey (1677), 66. All his body swell’d was: and in fine Speechless and breathless was he, like one dead.
1770. Langhorne, Plutarch (1851), I. 408/1. He lay a long time speechless.
1797. S. & Ht. Lee, Canterb. T. (1799), I. 393. The criminal himself … sank pale, and speechless, into the arms of those nearest.
1857. Longf., Santa Filomena, vii. Slow … The speechless sufferer turns to kiss Her shadow.
fig. 1611. Shaks., Cymb., I. v. 52. His Fortunes all lye speechlesse, and his name Is at last gaspe.
b. Deprived for the time being of the power of speech through astonishment, fear, or other emotion; temporarily dumb; unable to answer.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, IV. 370. And specheles thus ben thise ilke tweye, That neither myght a word for sorwe seye.
1526. Tindale, Matt. xxii. 12. Howe camyst thou in … and hast not on a weddyng garment? and he was even spechlesse.
1582. Stanyhurst, Æneis, II. (Arb.), 68. Heere with I was daunted, my hear stard, and speechles I stutted.
1608. Day, Hum. out of Breath, III. ii. If speech-bereaving love will let thee speak, Then, speechless man, speak with the tongue of love.
1667. Milton, P. L., IX. 894. Speechless he stood and pale, till thus at length First to himself he inward silence broke.
1711. Steele, Spect., No. 113, ¶ 4. I at last came towards her with such Awe as made me Speechless.
1778. Miss Burney, Evelina, lxxviii. Speechless, motionless myself, I attempted not to stop him.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., I. III. viii. An astonished Parlement sits convoked; listens speechless to the speech of D’Espréménil.
1891. Farrar, Darkn. & Dawn, xlvi. Acte was almost speechless with surprise.
c. Deprived of speech through excessive drinking. Hence colloq., dead drunk.
1881. Besant & Rice, Chapl. of Fleet, I. 158. Those evenings of riot from which Sir Miles was so often carried home speechless.
3. Refraining from speech; keeping or observing silence; silent. Also, reticent, taciturn.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 85. Thanne is my cause fully schent, For specheles may noman spede.
1530. Palsgr., 325/2. Spechelesse, of fewe wordes, musart.
1592. Kyd, Sp. Trag., II. ii. Bel. Why stands Horatio speecheles all this while? Hor. The lesse I speak, the more I meditate.
a. 1771. Gray, Dante, 53. On my Children’s Eyes Speechless my Sight I fix’d.
1848. Dickens, Dombey, xxxvi. A bony and speechless female with a fan.
transf. 1602. Shaks., Ham., II. ii. 507. A silence in the Heauens,… The bold windes speechlesse. Ibid. (1607), Cor., V. i. 67. Twas very faintly he said Rise: dismist me Thus with his speechlesse hand.
† 4. Not uttered or expressed in speech. Obs.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., I. i. 164. Sometimes from her eyes I did receiue faire speechlesse messages. Ibid. (c. 1600), Sonn., viii. 13. [The strings] Whose speechlesse song … Sings this to thee. Ibid. (1603), Meas. for M., I. ii. 188. For in her youth There is a prone and speechlesse dialect, Such as moue men.
5. Of an emotion, etc.: Of such a nature as to deprive one temporarily of the power of speech; characterized by loss of speech.
1593. Shaks., Lucr., 1674. Which speechless woe of his poor she attendeth, And his untimely frenzy thus awaketh.
1738. Glover, Leonidas, I. 364. In speechless anguish on the hero’s breast She sinks.
1761. Gray, Odin, 75.
| What virgins these, in speechless woe, | |
| That bend to earth their solemn brow, | |
| That their flaxen tresses tear, | |
| And snowy veils that float in air? |
1794. Mrs. Radcliffe, Myst. Udolpho, xxxiii. She gave herself up to speechless joy.
1848. Dickens, Dombey, lxii. Mr. Dombey nods at the Captain, who shines more and more with speechless gratification.
1865. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., XVIII. v. (1872), VII. 164. He surveyed with speechless feeling the small remnant of his Lifeguard of Foot.
6. Marked or characterized by absence of speech; free from, unaccompanied or undisturbed by, speech.
1726. Pope, Odyss., XIX. 251. A speechless interval of grief ensues.
1738. Wesley, Ps. CXXXVII. i. Her we bewail’d in speechless Groans.
1765. H. Walpole, Otranto, iv. [Her mother] seeing Matilda fall at her feet with a food of speechless tears.
1817. Shelley, Rev. Islam, V. liii. As o’er that speechless calm delight and wonder grew.
1855. Longf., Hiawatha, xiv. 17. In the great, mysterious darkness Of the speechless days that shall be!
1874. Spurgeon, Treas. David, Ps. xciv. 17. He … would have been wrapped in speechless silence.
7. poet. Incapable of expression in or by speech.
1813. Shelley, Q. Mab, V. 138. Stifling the speechless longings of his heart, In unremitting drudgery and care! Ibid. (1817), Rev. Islam, I. xlii. At night, methought in dream A shape of speechless beauty did appear.
1851. Mrs. Browning, Casa Guidi Wind., I. 90. As the veil withdrawn ’Twixt the artist’s soul and works had left them heirs Of speechless thoughts.
Hence Speechlessly adv., without speech or speaking; silently.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, xiv. The placable and soft-hearted Briggs speechlessly pushed out her hand at this appeal.
1857. W. Collins, Dead Secret (1861), 238. She stood … looking steadfastly, speechlessly, breathlessly, at her blind husband.
1895. Scully, Kafir Stories, 126. He glared speechlessly at Kondwana and Senzanga.
