I. ˈmyüt, usu -üd.+V adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: alteration (influenced by Latin mutus ) of Middle English muet, mewet, from Middle French muet, from Old French mu, from Latin mutus; akin to Old High German māwen to cry out, shriek, Norwegian mua to be silent, Greek mykos, mytis mute, Sanskrit mūka; basic meaning: inarticulate sound
1. : characterized by the inability to speak ; specifically : unable to utter articulate sounds as a result of never having heard speech sounds
2. : characterized by absence of speech: as
a. : unable for a limited time to speak (as from astonishment, grief, shock, or other strong emotion)
b. : felt or experienced but not expressed
gave him her hand with mute thanks — George Meredith
c. of a person arraigned by law : making no answer, maintaining silence, or refusing to plead directly or stand trial — usually used with stand
3. : not giving tongue when hunting : silent — used of a hound
4.
a. of a coin : devoid of inscription or means of identification other than heraldic or symbolical devices
b. of a mineral : not giving a ringing sound when struck
5.
a. of a written or printed character
(1) : contributing nothing to the pronunciation of a word (as b in plumb or the second e in every as it is usually pronounced)
(2) : contributing to the pronunciation of a word but not representing the nucleus of a syllable (as the e in mate which produces māt instead of mat)
b. of the e in French : having no counterpart in the pronunciation in some environments or styles of utterance but pronounced ə in other environments or styles of utterance (as e in cheval which is sometimes pronounced shvȧl and sometimes shəvə̇l)
Synonyms: see dumb
II. noun
( -s )
1.
a. : one that does not speak (as from physical inability or unwillingness)
b. archaic : a person whose part in a play does not require him to speak
c. : one hired to attend a funeral as a mourner
2. : stop 9 — used especially in the study of Greek and Latin
3. : a device on a musical instrument serving to reduce, soften, or muffle its tone: as
a. : a metal, ivory, or wood clamp that can be attached to the bridge of a bowed stringed instrument
b. : a cone or cylinder or pad inserted in the bell of a wind instrument — compare sordine
c. : one of the dampers of a piano action
III. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
1. : to muffle or reduce the sound of (as by a mute)
2. : to subdue or tone down (a color)
IV. intransitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English muten, from Middle French meutir, short for esmeutir, from Old French esmeltir, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch smelten to melt, defecate (used of birds)
of a bird : defecate
V. noun
( -s )
: the excrement of a bird
VI. intransitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: perhaps from Latin muttire to mutter — more at mutter
obs Scotland : complain
VII. adjective
: remaining silent, undiscovered, or unrecognized