mute´ly

mute «myoot», adjective, noun, verb, mut|ed, mut|ing.

–adj.

1. not making any sound; silent: »

The little girl stood mute with embarrassment. Mute did the minstrels stand To hear my story (Longfellow). Mute was the room—mute the house (Charlotte Brontë).

2. unable to speak; dumb. SYNONYM(S): See syn. under dumb. (Cf. ↑dumb)

3. not pronounced; silent: »

The “e” in “mute” is mute.

4. Phonetics. articulated as a stop; produced by the complete momentary closure of the air passage: »

The “p” in “hop” and “play” is a mute consonant.

5. without speech or sound: »

a mute refusal of an offer, mute astonishment.

6. Law. (of a prisoner) making no response when arraigned: »

to stand mute.

–n.

1. a person who cannot speak, usually because of deafness or loss of or damage to the tongue or vocal cords.

2. a clip or pad put on a musical instrument to soften, deaden, or muffle sound.

3. a silent letter.

4. Phonetics. a stop; mute consonant.

5. an actor who plays pantomime.

6. Law. a prisoner who fails to plead to an indictment.

7. Archaic. a hired attendant at a funeral: »

I saw the coffin, and the mutes, and the mourners (John Galt).

–v.t.

1. to deaden or soften the sound of (a tone, voice, or musical instrument) with or as if with a mute: »

He muted the strings of his violin.

2. to soften or subdue (a color); tone down.

3. to keep silent; suppress: »

He does not mute his own opinionatedness and egotism (Punch).

╂[alteration (influenced by Latin) of Middle English mewet and muet < Old French muet < Latin mūtus]

–mute´ly, adverb.

–mute´ness, noun.