mute

mute  (myt)

adj. mut·er, mut·est

1. Refraining from producing speech or vocal sound.

2.

a. Often Offensive Unable to speak.

b. Unable to vocalize, as certain animals.

3. Expressed without speech; unspoken: a mute appeal.

4. Law Refusing to plead when under arraignment.

5. Linguistics

a. Not pronounced; silent, as the e in the word house.

b. Pronounced with a temporary stoppage of breath, as the sounds (p) and (b); plosive; stopped.

n.

1. Often Offensive One who is incapable of speech.

2. Law A defendant who refuses to plead when under arraignment.

3. Music Any of various devices used to muffle or soften the tone of an instrument.

4. Linguistics

a. A silent letter.

b. A plosive; a stop.

tr.v. mut·ed, mut·ing, mutes

1. To soften or muffle the sound of.

2. To soften the tone, color, shade, or hue of.

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[Middle English muet, from Old French, from diminutive of mu, from Latin mtus.]

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mutely adv.

muteness n.

Usage Note: In reference to people who are unable to speak, mute and deaf-mute are now often considered objectionable. The offense is due not only to the bluntness of these terms but also to the implication that a person who is incapable of oral speech is necessarily deprived of the use of language. In fact, many deaf people today communicate naturally and fully through the use of a sign language such as ASL, and no one who has witnessed such a conversation would ever think to call the participants mute. See Usage Note at deaf.

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mute

Adjective

1. not giving out sound or speech; silent

2. unable to speak; dumb

3. unspoken or unexpressed: she shot him a look of mute entreaty

4. (of a letter in a word) silent: the `k' in `know' is mute

Noun

1. a person who is unable to speak

2. any of various devices used to soften the tone of stringed or brass instruments

Verb

[muting, muted]

1. to reduce the volume or soften the tone of a musical instrument by means of a mute or soft pedal

2. to reduce the volume of a sound: the double glazing muted the noise [Latin mutus silent]

mutely adv
muteness n

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Mute pack of hounds—Bk. of St. Albans, 1486.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	mute - a deaf person who is unable to speak deaf-and-dumb person, deaf-mute deaf person - a person with a severe auditory impairment dummy, silent person - a person who does not talk
	2.	mute - a device used to soften the tone of a musical instrument acoustic device - a device for amplifying or transmitting sound sordino, sourdine - a mute for a violin
Verb	1.	mute - deaden (a sound or noise), especially by wrapping damp, tone down, muffle, dampen, dull soften - make (images or sounds) soft or softer
Adj.	1.	mute - expressed without speech; "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 unspoken, wordless, tongueless inarticulate, unarticulate - without or deprived of the use of speech or words; "inarticulate beasts"; "remained stupidly inarticulate and saying something noncommittal"; "inarticulate with rage"; "an inarticulate cry"
	2.	mute - unable to speak because of hereditary deafness dumb, silent inarticulate, unarticulate - without or deprived of the use of speech or words; "inarticulate beasts"; "remained stupidly inarticulate and saying something noncommittal"; "inarticulate with rage"; "an inarticulate cry"

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mute

adjective 1. close-mouthed, silent, taciturn, tongue-tied, tight-lipped, unspeaking

adjective 2. silent, dumb, unspoken, tacit, wordless, voiceless, unvoiced

adjective 3. dumb, speechless, voiceless, unspeaking, aphasic, aphonic

verb 4. tone down, lower, moderate, subdue, dampen, soft-pedal

verb 5. muffle, subdue, moderate, lower, turn down, soften, dampen, tone down, deaden

Translations

mute [mjuːt] adj, n → mudo/a m/f

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mute [mjuːt] adj, n → muet(te)

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mute [mjuːt] adj → stumm

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mute [mjuːt] adj, n → muto/a