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adumbrate: adumbrate: see umbrage
dumb: dumb: [OE] The notion underlying dumb is of ‘sensory or mental impairment’. It goes back to a nasalized version of prehistoric Indo-European *dheubh-, denoting ‘confusion, stupefaction, or dizziness’, which was also the ultimate source of English deaf. This developed two stands of meaning. The first, through association of ‘sensory or mental impairment’ and ‘slowwittedness’, led to forms such as German dumm and Dutch dom, which mean ‘stupid’ (the use of dumb to mean ‘stupid’ did not develop until the 19th century, in American English, presumably under the influence of the German and Dutch adjectives).

The other was semantic specialization to a particular sort of mental impairment, the inability to speak, which produced Gothic dumbs, Old Norse dumbr, and English dumb. (The German word for ‘dumb’, stumm, is related to English stammer and stumble, as are Dutch stom and Swedish stum.) Dummy [16] is a derivative; it originally meant ‘dumb person’.
=> deaf, dummy
dump: dump: [14] Dump is probably of Scandinavian origin – Danish and Norwegian have the similar dumpe and dumpa, which mean ‘fall suddenly’ – although Dutch dompen ‘immerse, topple’ is another candidate that has been put forward. Either way, there does not seem to be any direct connection with the dumps [16], which was probably originally a metaphorical use of Dutch domp ‘haze’, in the sense ‘miasma of depression’. Nor has any relationship been established with the obsolete noun dump ‘lump’ [18], which appears to have close ties with dumpling [16] and dumpy [16], although whether as source or descendant (by backformation) is a debatable point.
addendum (n.): 1794, literally "something added," from Latin addendum, neuter of addendus "that which is to be added," gerundive of addere (see add (v.)). Classical plural form is addenda.
adumbrate (v.): "to outline, to sketch," 1580s, from Latin adumbratus "sketched, shadowed in outline," past participle of adumbrare "to represent (a thing) in outline" (see adumbration). Meaning "to overshadow" is 1660s. Related: Adumbrated; adumbrating.
adumbration (n.): 1530s, from Latin adumbrationem (nominative adumbratio) "a sketch in shadow, sketch, outline," noun of action from past participle stem of adumbrare "to cast a shadow, overshadow, represent (a thing) in outline," from ad- "to" (see ad-) + umbrare "to cast in shadow," from PIE *andho- "blind, dark" (see umbrage).
Carborundum (n.): silicon carbide used as an abrasive, (reg. trademark U.S. June 21, 1892, by Carborundum Co. of Monongahela City, Pa.), from carbon + corundum.
corrigendum (n.): 1850, from Latin corrigendum (plural corrigenda) "that which is to be corrected," neuter gerundive of corrigere "to correct" (see correct (v.)).
corundum (n.): "very hard mineral," 1728, from Anglo-Indian, from Tamil kurundam "ruby sapphire" (Sanskrit kuruvinda), which is of unknown origin.
duma (n.): Russian national assembly, 1870 (in reference to city councils; the national one was set up in 1905), literally "thought," from a Germanic source (compare Gothic doms "judgment," English doom, deem).
dumb (adj.): Old English dumb "silent, unable to speak," from PIE *dheubh- "confusion, stupefaction, dizziness," from root *dheu- (1) "dust, mist, vapor, smoke," and related notions of "defective perception or wits."

The Old English, Old Saxon (dumb), Gothic (dumbs), and Old Norse (dumbr) forms of the word meant only "mute, speechless;" in Old High German (thumb) it meant both this and "stupid," and in Modern German this latter became the only sense. Meaning "foolish, ignorant" was occasionally in Middle English, but modern use (1823) comes from influence of German dumm. Related: dumber; dumbest.

Applied to silent contrivances, hence dumbwaiter. As a verb, in late Old English, "to become mute;" c. 1600, "to make mute." To dumb (something) down is from 1933.
dumbass (n.): by 1959, from dumb "stupid" + ass (n.2).
dumbbell (n.): "weighted bar used for exercise," 1711, originally an apparatus like that used to ring a church bell, but without the bell (hence dumb); used for exercise but sometimes also to practice ringing changes. Figurative sense of "blockhead, stupid person" attested by 1918, American English college slang.
dumbfound (v.): 1650s, from dumb (adj.) + ending from confound.
dumbfounded (adj.): past participle adjective from dumbfound.
dumbledore (n.): 1787, noted as a dialect word in Hampshire, Cornwall, etc. for "a bumblebee."
dumbstruck (adj.): 1823, from dumb + past participle of strike (v.).
dumbwaiter (n.): 1749, an article of furniture, from dumb (adj.) + waiter (apparently because it serves as a waiter but is silent). As a movable platform for passing dishes, etc., up and down from one room (especially a basement kitchen) to another, from 1847.
dumdum bullet: 1897, named for Dum-Dum arsenal in Bengal, where the British made them to use against fanatical charges by tribesmen. Outlawed by international declaration, 1899. The place name is literally "hill, mound, battery," cognate with Persian damdama.
dummkopf (n.): 1809 (dom cop), from German dummkopf, literally "dumb head;" see dumb (adj.) + cup (n.).
dummy (n.): 1590s, "mute person," from dumb (adj.) + -y (3). Extended by 1845 to "figure representing a person." Used in card games (originally whist) since 1736. Meaning "dolt, blockhead" is from 1796.
dump (v.): early 14c., "throw down or fall with force," perhaps from a Scandinavian source (compare Danish dumpe, Norwegian dumpa "to fall suddenly"). The sense of "unload en masse" is first recorded in American English 1784. That of "discard, abandon" is from 1919. Related: Dumped; dumping. Dump truck is from 1930.
dump (n.): "place where refuse is dumped," 1865, originally of mining operations, from dump (v.). Meaning "any shabby place" is from 1899. Meaning "act of defecating" is from 1942.
dumpling (n.): c. 1600, Norfolk dialect, of uncertain origin, perhaps from some Low German word or from noun dump "lump" (late 18c.). Related: Dumplings.
dumps (n.): "low spirits," 1520s, plural of dumpe "a fit of musing," possibly from Dutch domp "haze, mist," from Middle Dutch damp "vapor" (see damp (n.)).
Dumpster (n.): 1930s, from Dempster-Dumpster trash-hauling mechanism, patented by Dempster Brothers and probably named from dump (v.) with the surname in mind. Dumpster diving attested from 1979.
dumpy (adj.): "short and stout," 1750, apparently from some noun dump (compare dumpling), but the connection is unclear.
Humpty-dumpty: from French nursery rhyme hero (the rhyme first attested in English 1810), earlier "a short, clumsy person of either sex" (1785), probably a reduplication of Humpty, a pet form of Humphrey. Originally, humpty-dumpty was a drink (1690s), "ale boiled with brandy," probably from hump and dump, but the connection is obscure and there might not be one.
'It's very provoking,' Humpty Dumpty said, ... 'to be called an egg -- very!' ["Through the Looking-Glass," 1872]
memorandum (n.): early 15c., from Latin memorandum "(thing) to be remembered," neuter singular of memorandus "worthy of remembrance, noteworthy," gerundive of memorare "to call to mind," from memor "mindful of" (see memory). Originally a word written at the top of a note, by 1540s it came to stand for the note itself. The Latin plural is memoranda. Compare also agenda.
pudendum (n.): "external genitals," late 14c. (pudenda), from Latin pudendum (plural pudenda), literally "thing to be ashamed of," neuter gerundive of pudere "make ashamed; be ashamed," from PIE root *(s)peud- "to punish, repulse." Translated into Old English as scamlim ("shame-limb"); in Middle English also anglicized as pudende (early 15c.). Related: Pudendal.
reductio ad absurdum: Latin, literally "reduction to the absurd." Absurdum is neuter of absurdus. See reduction + absurd. The tactic is useful and unobjectionable in proofs in geometry.
referendum (n.): 1847, "a submitting of a question to the voters as a whole" (originally chiefly in reference to Switzerland), from French or German, from Latin referendum "that which must be referred," literally "thing brought back," neuter gerundive of referre "to bring or take back" (see refer). As a gerundive, it has no plural in Latin; referendums is preferred in English.
sedum (n.): mid-15c., from Latin sedum "houseleek."
tweedledum (n.): paired with tweedledee to signify two things or persons nearly alike, differing in name, 1725, coined by English poet John Byrom (1692-1767) in his satire "On the Feud Between Handel and Bononcini," a couple of competing musicians, from tweedle "to sing, to whistle" (1680s), of imitative origin. The -dum and -dee perhaps suggest low and high sounds respectively.
dumdum: "A kind of soft-nosed bullet that expands on impact and inflicts laceration", Late 19th century: from Dum Dum, name of a town and arsenal in eastern India where such bullets were first produced.
diddums: "Used to express commiseration to a child or, ironically, to an adult", Late 19th century: from did 'em, i.e. 'did they?' (tease you, do that to you, etc.).
adumbral: "Shadowy, shady", Mid 19th cent.; earliest use found in Blackwood's Magazine. In sense 1 from ad- + classical Latin umbra shade + -al.
adumbrant: "Casting shadows; shadowy, shady. In extended use: represented in outline; vague, indistinct", Early 18th cent.; earliest use found in Nathan Bailey (d. 1742), lexicographer and schoolmaster. From classical Latin adumbrant-, adumbrāns, present participle of adumbrāre adumbrate.
dumbsize: "(Of a company) reduce staff numbers to levels so low that work can no longer be carried out effectively", 1990s: humorously, on the pattern of downsize.
ad referendum: "Pending the assent of the parties involved, or a higher authority; subject to agreement by other parties and (now usually) to finalization of the details", Early 18th cent.; earliest use found in Abel Boyer (?1667–1729), lexicographer and journalist. From post-classical Latin ad referendum pending the assent of the parties involved, subject to agreement from classical Latin ad + referendum.
ad captandum vulgus: "So as to win over or capture the minds and attention of the mass of ordinary people", Early 18th cent. From post-classical Latin ad captandum vulgus from classical Latin ad + captandum, neuter of the gerundive of captāre to entice, allure + vulgus.