Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Mute
Mute
(mūt)
, Verb.
T.
[L.
mutare
to change. See Molt
.] To cast off; to molt.
Have I
muted
all my feathers? Beau. & Fl.
Mute
,Verb.
T.
& I.
To eject the contents of the bowels; – said of birds.
B. Jonson.
Mute
,Noun.
The dung of birds.
Hudibras.
Mute
,Adj.
[L.
mutus
; cf. Gr. μύειν
to shut, Skr. mūta
bound, mūka
dumb: cf. OE. muet
, fr. F. muet
, a dim. of OF. mu
, L. mutus
.] 1.
Not speaking; uttering no sound; silent.
All the heavenly choir stood
And silence was in heaven.
mute
,And silence was in heaven.
Milton.
☞ In law a prisoner is said to stand mute, when, upon being arranged, he makes no answer, or does not plead directly, or will not put himself on trial.
2.
Incapable of speaking; dumb.
Dryden.
3.
Not uttered; unpronounced; silent; also, produced by complete closure of the mouth organs which interrupt the passage of breath; – said of certain letters. See 5th
Mute
, 2. 4.
Not giving a ringing sound when struck; – said of a metal.
Mute swan
(Zool.)
, a European wild white swan (
Cygnus olor
syn. Cygnus gibbus
), which produces no loud notes, in distinction from the Trumpeter swan
.
Syn. – Silent; dumb; speechless.
– Mute
, Silent
, Dumb
. One is silent who does not speak; one is dumb who can not, for want of the proper organs; as, a
; and hence, figuratively, we speak of a person as struck dumb with astonishment, etc. One is mute who is held back from speaking by some special cause; dumb
beast, etc.as, he was
Such is the case with most of those who never speak from childhood; they are not ordinarily dumb, but mute because they are deaf, and therefore never learn to talk; and hence their more appropriate name is deaf-mutes.mute
through fear; mute
astonishment, etc. They spake not a word;
But, like
Gazed each on other.
But, like
dumb
statues, or breathing stones,Gazed each on other.
Shakespeare
All sat
Pondering the danger with deep thoughts.
mute
,Pondering the danger with deep thoughts.
Milton.
Mute
,Noun.
1.
One who does not speak, whether from physical inability, unwillingness, or other cause.
Specifically:
(a)
One who, from deafness, either congenital or from early life, is unable to use articulate language; a deaf-mute.
(b)
A person employed by undertakers at a funeral.
(c)
A person whose part in a play does not require him to speak.
(d)
Among the Turks, an officer or attendant who is selected for his place because he can not speak.
2.
(Phon.)
A letter which represents no sound; a silent letter; also, a close articulation; an element of speech formed by a position of the mouth organs which stops the passage of the breath;
as,
. p
, b
, d
, k
, t
3.
(Mus.)
A little utensil made of brass, ivory, or other material, so formed that it can be fixed in an erect position on the bridge of a violin, or similar instrument, in order to deaden or soften the tone.
Webster 1828 Edition
Mute
MUTE
,Adj.
1.
Silent; not speaking; not uttering words, or not having the power of utterance; dumb. Mute may express temporary silence, or permanent inability to speak. To the mute my speech is lost.
In this phrase, it denotes unable to utter words. More generally, it denotes temporarily silent; as, all sat mute.
All the heavenly choir stood mute.
2.
Uttering no sound; as mute sorrow.3.
Silent; not pronounced; as a mute letter.MUTE
,Noun.
1.
In grammar,a letter that represents no sound; a close articulation which intercepts the voice. Mutes are of two kinds, pure and impure. The pure mutes instantly and entirely intercept the voice, as k, p and t, in the syllables ek,ep, et. The impure mutes intercept the voice less suddenly, as the articulations are less close. Such are b,d and g, as in the syllables eb, ed,eg.2.
In music, a little utensil of wood or brass, used on a violin to deaden or soften the sounds.MUTE
,Verb.
I.
MUTE
,Noun.