English

Adjective

mumchance ‎(comparative more mumchance, superlative most mumchance)

1. Mute, or not speaking; silent.
   • 1966, Paul Scott, The Jewel in the Crown, p. 69

     I wrote Miss Crane off as mediocre because although she chatted quite pleasantly and intelligently over coffee she was mostly mumpchance at the dinner table. Oh, not mumpchance tout court.

   • 1978, Lawrence Durrell, Livia, Faber & Faber 1992 (Avignon Quintet), p. 446:

     The two little children stood mumchance, but with a kindly air.

Related terms

• mummer
• mummery

Noun

mumchance ‎(plural mumchances)

1. An old game of chance played with cards in silence.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Decker to this entry?)

2. A silent, stupid person.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Halliwell to this entry?)

References

• Encarta World English Dictionary, North American Edition