Definition of Mute

Term applied to postage stamps or cancellations that do not indicate country or place of origin.

(v. t.)
To cast off; to molt.
  

(v. t. & i.)
To eject the contents of the bowels; -- said of birds.
  

(n.)
The dung of birds.
  

(n.)
One who, from deafness, either congenital or from early life, is unable to use articulate language; a deaf-mute.
  

(n.)
One who does not speak, whether from physical inability, unwillingness, or other cause.
  

(n.)
Among the Turks, an officer or attendant who is selected for his place because he can not speak.
  

(n.)
A person whose part in a play does not require him to speak.
  

(n.)
A person employed by undertakers at a funeral.
  

(n.)
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.
  

(n.)
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.
  

(a.)
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.
  

(a.)
Not speaking; uttering no sound; silent.
  

(a.)
Not giving a ringing sound when struck; -- said of a metal.
  

(a.)
Incapable of speaking; dumb.
  

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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.
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.
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?l.), a european wild white swan (cygnus gibbus), which produces no loud notes.

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  similar words(5) 

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 soft mute 
 mute swan 
 deaf-mute 
 middle mute 
 mute-hill 

Mud = n. a remove; a mew; a making motion; mute

Mudan = n. a mute, a dumb one

Mudanaeth = n. a mute state

Mudanes = n. a female mute

Mudsain = n. a mute letter

slave whose tongue has been removed for security reasons, or silent person. Both mutes and eunuchs were associated with oriental courts. [Twelfth Night] N

very drunk

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Noun
1. a deaf person who is unable to speak
(synonym) deaf-mute, deaf-and-dumb person
(hypernym) deaf person
(hyponym) dummy, silent person
2. a device used to soften the tone of a musical instrument
(hypernym) acoustic device
(hyponym) sourdine, sordino
(derivation) muffle, dull, damp, dampen, tone down

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Verb
1. deaden (a sound or noise), especially by wrapping
(synonym) muffle, dull, damp, dampen, tone down
(hypernym) soften

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Adjective
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
(synonym) tongueless, unspoken, wordless
(similar) inarticulate, unarticulate
2. lacking power of speech
(synonym) tongueless
(similar) nonspeaking, walk-on
3. unable to speak because of hereditary deafness
(synonym) dumb, silent
(similar) inarticulate, unarticulate

To converse with a mute in your dreams, foretells that unusual crosses in your life will fit you for higher positions, which will be tendered you.

To dream that you are a mute, portends calamities and unjust persecution.
  

To turn off or silence an audio signal. In wireless, sometimes used to indicate the squelched condition for a receiver.
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See more at Wikipedia.org...

MUTE, STANDING MUTE - When a prisoner upon his arraignment totally refuses to answer, insists upon mere frivolous pretences, or refuses to put himself upon the country, after pleading not guilty, he is said to stand mute.

In the case of the United States v. Hare, et al., Circuit Court, Maryland Dist. May 1818, the prisoner standing mute was considered as if he had pleaded not guilty.

The act of congress of March 3, 1825, has since provided as follows; That if any person, upon his or her arraignment upon any indictment before any court of the United States for any offence, not capital, shall stand mute, or will not answer or plead to such indictment, the court shall, notwithstanding, proceed to the trial of the person, so standing mute, or refusing to answer or pleas, as if he or she had pleaded not guilty; and upon a verdict being returned by the jury, may proceed to render judgment accordingly. A similar provision is to be found in the laws of Pennsylvania.

The barbarous punishment of peine forte et dure which till lately disgraced the criminal code of England, was never known in the United States.

When a prisoner stands mute, the laws of England arrive at the forced conclusion that he is guilty, and punish him accordingly. By the old French law, when a person accused was mute, or stood mute, it was the duty of the judge to appoint him a curator, whose duty it was to defend him, in the best manner he could; and for this purpose, he was allowed to communicate with him privately.
   

This entry contains material from Bouvier's Legal Dictionary, a work published in the 1850's.

To silence an input signal on a mixing board (usually by pressing a mute switch) by severing the connection between the input module's output from the direct out and the master out. Muting is used to help create quieter final mixes by eliminating noise from temporarily or permanently unused tracks.

spes-fam