Hypertext Webster Gateway: "mute"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Mute \Mute\, v. t. [L. mutare to change. See {Molt}.]
To cast off; to molt.
Have I muted all my feathers? --Beau. & Fl.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Mute \Mute\, v. t. & i. [F. mutir, ['e]meutir, OF. esmeltir, fr.
OD. smelten, prop., to melt. See {Smelt}.]
To eject the contents of the bowels; -- said of birds. --B.
Jonson.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Mute \Mute\, n.
The dung of birds. --Hudibras.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Mute \Mute\, a. [L. mutus; cf. Gr. ? to shut, Skr. m?ta bound,
m?ka 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 mute, And silence was
in heaven. --Milton.
Note: 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} (Zo["o]l.), a European wild white swan ({Cygnus
gibbus}), which produces no loud notes.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Mute \Mute\, n.
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.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
mute
adj 1: expressed without speech; especially because words would be
inappropriate or inadequate; "a mute appeal"; "a
silent curse"; "best grief is tongueless"- Emily
Dickinson; "the words stopped at her lips unsounded";
"unspoken grief"; "choking exasperation and wordless
shame"- Thomas Wolfe [syn: {tongueless}, {unspoken}, {wordless}]
2: lacking power of speech [syn: {tongueless}]
3: unable to speak because of hereditary deafness [syn: {dumb},
{silent}]
n 1: a deaf person who is unable to speak [syn: {deaf-mute}, {deaf-and-dumb
person}]
2: a device used to soften the tone of a musical instrument
v 1: deaden (a sound or noise), esp. by wrapping [syn: {muffle},
{dull}, {damp}, {dampen}, {tone down}]
2: quieten or silence (a sound) or make (an image) less visible
[syn: {dampen}, {muffle}, {deaden}, {damp}, {tone down}]
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