# mutter

Pronunciation: US say "MUT-ur" /ˈmʌtɚ/; say "MUT-uh" UK /ˈmʌtə/, AUS /ˈmɐtə/

## Verb

1. To utter words, especially complaints or angry remarks, indistinctly and in a low voice, almost under one's breath.
   - Simple: To say something quietly, often when you are annoyed, so it is hard to hear.
   - _The old man would mutter complaints whenever the train was late._
   - _Drivers often mutter curses when traffic comes to a standstill._
3. To speak softly and unclearly, with words that run together or come out only half-formed.
   - Simple: To speak in a soft, unclear way that is hard to make out.
   - _Half-asleep, she would mutter fragments of sentences no one could follow._
   - _The patient began to mutter, his words slurring into one another._
4. To produce a low, continuous rumbling sound, as distant thunder or heavy machinery does.
   - Simple: To make a low, rumbling sound, like far-off thunder.
   - _The volcano continued to mutter for days before the eruption._
   - _Distant guns muttered along the horizon throughout the night._

## Noun

2. A low, half-suppressed utterance, or a single instance of speaking indistinctly under one's breath.
   - Simple: A quiet sound or word said so softly that it is hard to understand.
   - _A faint mutter of discontent spread through the crowd._
   - _She replied with a mutter, barely audible over the rain._
5. Green peas, especially as a component of Indian dishes such as curries and rice preparations.
   - Simple: Green peas, often used in Indian dishes and curries.
   - _The cook stirred mutter into the spiced tomato base._
   - _A generous handful of mutter brightened the rice._

## Origin

**Meanings 1–4** — From Middle English muteren or moteren, of imitative origin. It may be compared with Low German mustern, musseln ("to whisper"), German muttern ("to mutter; whisper"), Old Norse muðla ("to murmur"), and also Latin muttīre, mutīre.
**Meaning 5** — From Hindi मटर (maṭar).

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/mutter (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).