— murmurer , n. — murmurless , adj. — murmurlessly , adv.
/merr"meuhr/ , n.
1. a low, continuous sound, as of a brook, the wind, or trees, or of low, indistinct voices.
2. a mumbled or private expression of discontent.
3. Also called heart murmur . Med.
a. an abnormal sound heard on listening to the heart, usually through a stethoscope, produced by the blood passing through deformed cardiac valves.
b. in some persons a similar sound heard when blood passes through normal valves.
4. Phonet. a voice quality in which vibration of the vocal cords is accompanied by the escape of a great deal of air, as in the /h/ of ahead; breathy voice.
v.i.
5. to make a low or indistinct sound, esp. continuously.
6. to speak in a low tone or indistinctly.
7. to complain in a low tone or in private.
v.t.
8. to sound by murmurs.
9. to utter in a low tone: He murmured a threat as he left the room.
[ 1275-1325; (v.) ME murmuren murmurare; (n.) ME ]
Syn. 1. grumble, susurration, mumble, complaint, mutter. 6. MURMUR, MUMBLE, MUTTER mean to make sounds that are not fully intelligible. To MURMUR is to utter sounds or words in a low, almost inaudible tone, as in expressing affection or dissatisfaction: to murmur disagreement. To MUMBLE is to utter imperfect or inarticulate sounds with the mouth partly closed, so that the words can be distinguished only with difficulty: to mumble the answer to a question. To MUTTER is to utter words in a low, grumbling way, often voicing complaint or discontent, not meant to be fully audible: to mutter complaints. 7. grouse.