▪ I. mutter, n.1
(ˈmʌtə(r))
[f. mutter v.1]
The act of muttering; a low indistinct utterance.
| 1634 Milton Comus 817 Without his rod revers't And backward mutters of dissevering power, We cannot free the Lady. 1874 Spurgeon Treas. Dav. Ps. xcviii. 6 That chill mutter..which is now so commonly the substitute for earnest congregational singing. 1875 A. R. Hope My Schoolboy Fr. 146, I gave an inaudible mutter. |
▪ II. mutter, n.2
(ˈmʌtə(r))
[Hindī matar.]
An Indian variety of pea, sometimes used in this country as fodder for cattle.
| 1884 W. Williams Princ. & Pract. Vet. Med. (ed. 4) 298 An Indian pea.., called in Liverpool Indian mutters. Ibid., Horses commenced to die very suddenly some time after the owners had commenced to use the mutters. |
▪ III. mutter, v.1
(ˈmʌtə(r))
Forms: 4–5 moter(e, mot(t)re, 5–6 muttre, 6 muttor, 6– mutter.
[Prob. an onomatopœic formation with frequentative suffix -er5; cf. G. dial. muttern to mutter, motter n. a muttering; also muster v.2]
1. intr. To speak in low tones, with the mouth nearly closed, so that one's words are barely audible.
| 1388 Wyclif 2 Sam. xii. 19 Whanne Dauid hadde herd his seruauntis spekynge priueli, ether moterynge [1382 musynge, Vulg. mussitantes]. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 301 Therewith the French men beganne to muttor, and sayde among themselues, the prince had spoken nobly. 1598 Drayton Heroic. Ep. xvii. 15 Mine eyes..thought report too niggardly had spard; And stroocken dumbe with wonder, did but mutter, Conceiuing more then she had words to vtter. 1611 Bible Isa. viii. 19 Seeke..vnto wizards that peepe and that mutter. 1642 Fuller Holy & Prof. St. ii. xxi. 134 He heard his men muttering amongst themselves of the strength and greatnesse of the Town. 1692 R. L'Estrange Fables ccxix. 192 The Wolfe went Muttering away upon't. 1717 Pope Iliad x. 527 The Head, yet speaking, mutter'd as it fell. 1855 Bain Senses & Int. iii. i. §8 (1864) 345 Some persons of weak or incontinent nerves can hardly think without muttering—they talk to themselves. 1860 Holland Miss Gilbert ii, At not infrequent intervals she heard her little brother moaning and muttering in his sleep. |
b. esp. To speak in low indistinct tones expressive of dissatisfaction which one dare not utter more openly; to murmur, complain, grumble. Const. against, at.
| a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VI 121 Certain souldiors..beganne to mutter and murmure against the kyng and his counsaill. 1575–85 Abp. Sandys Serm. ii. 26 The worthie magistrate Moses was muttered against. 1621 T. Williamson tr. Goulart's Wise Vieillard 70 They..doe mutter at, and finde fault with euery thing that is spoken or done. 1692 Washington tr. Milton's Def. Pop. ii. M.'s Wks. 1851 VII. 66 The People must not dare to mutter. 1706 E. Ward Wooden World Diss. (1708) 27 Oft does he mutter at the Partialities of the Board. 1720 De Foe Capt. Singleton xiii. (1840) 228 Our men muttered a little at this; but I pacified them. 1856 Emerson Eng. Traits, Wealth Wks. (Bohn) II. 71 Whether it were not possible to make a spinner that would not rebel, nor mutter, nor scowl, nor strike for wages? |
c. transf. To make a low rumbling sound.
| 1797 Mrs. Radcliffe Italian i, Like distant thunder muttering imperfectly from the clouds. 1858 Hawthorne Fr. & It. Note-bks. II. 50 The thunder muttered and grumbled. |
2. trans. To utter with imperfect articulation and in a low tone. Also fig. to express or say in secret.
| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus ii. 492 (541) With that he smoot his heed adoun anoon, And gan to motre [v.rr. motere, mottre, muttre], I not what trewly. a 1586 Sidney Ps. ii. i, What do theis people meane, To mutter murmurs vaine? 1593 Shakes. 3 Hen. VI, i. i. 165 What mutter you, or what conspire you Lords? 1604 ― Oth. iii. iii. 417 There are a kinde of men, So loose of Soule, that in their sleepes will mutter their Affayres. 1645 E. Pagitt Heresiogr. Ep. Ded., Who have their Prayers in their owne tongue, and mutter them not in latine as the Romists doe. 1724 Ramsay Vision ix, Revenge is muttert be ilk clan. 1750 Gray Elegy 106 Mutt'ring his wayward fancies he would rove. 1856 Sir B. Brodie Psychol. Inq. I. iii. 100, I knew a gentleman who was accustomed to mutter certain words to himself..even in the midst of company. |
b. with obj. clause.
| 1555 Eden Decades 21 The people..muttered amonge them selues that owre nation hadde trowbled the elementes. 1561 T. Norton Calvin's Inst. i. xiii. (1634) 46 Arrius saith that Christ is God, but he muttereth that he was created. 1622 Bacon Hen. VII 163 They muttered extremely, that it was a thing not to bee suffered. 1623 Meade in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. i. III. 151 Yet its muttered the Match will be. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. ii. I. 230 Some who had always professed the doctrine of nonresistance in its full extent were now heard to mutter that there was one limitation to that doctrine. |
c. to mutter over: to recite in low indistinct tones, to mumble.
| 1810 Scott Lady of L. iii. iv, And much, 'twas said, of heathen lore Mix'd in the charms he mutter'd o'er. 1817 Moore Lalla R. (1824) 175 To mutter o'er some text of God, Engraven on his reeking sword. |
d. transf. (Cf. 1 c.)
| 1667 Milton P.L. ix. 1002 Skie lowr'd, and muttering Thunder, som sad drops Wept at compleating of the mortal Sin Original. |
▪ IV. ˈmutter, v.2
? Variant of moulter v.1
| 1609 Butler Fem. Monarchie vi. §22 If you feele it [sc. leg-honey] betweene your warme fingers, it muttereth apart, where wax sticketh fast togither. |