mute
[ myoot ]
/ myut /
adjective, mut·er, mut·est.
noun
verb (used with object), mut·ed, mut·ing.
to deaden or muffle the sound of.
to reduce the intensity of (a color) by the addition of another color.
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Origin of mute
1325–75; <Latin mūtus dumb; replacing Middle English muet<Middle French, equivalent to Old French mu (<Latin mūtus) + unexplained suffix -et;cf. -et
usage note for mute
See dumb.
OTHER WORDS FROM mute
mutely, adverbmuteness, nounWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH mute
moot, muteDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for mute
Joel Osteen wants to talk about muting your cell phone at the dinner table.
Great eyebrows overhung his face, like ivy on a pollard oak, and under them two large brown eyes, as of an owl when muting.
Lorna Doone|R. D. BlackmoreA continuous mute is a strip of muting felt of the proper thickness to be pushed in between the trios of strings.
Piano Tuning|J. Cree Fischer
British Dictionary definitions for mute (1 of 2)
mute1
/ (mjuːt) /
adjective
noun
verb (tr)
to reduce the volume of (a musical instrument) by means of a mute, soft pedal, etc
to subdue the strength of (a colour, tone, lighting, etc)
Derived forms of mute
mutely, adverbmuteness, nounWord Origin for mute
C14: muwet from Old French mu, from Latin mūtus silent
usage for mute
Using this word to refer to people without speech is considered outdated and offensive and should be avoided. The phrase profoundly deaf is a suitable alternative in many contexts
British Dictionary definitions for mute (2 of 2)
mute2
/ (mjuːt) archaic /
verb
(of birds) to discharge (faeces)
noun
birds' faeces
Word Origin for mute
C15: from Old French meutir, variant of esmeltir, of Germanic origin; probably related to smelt 1 and melt
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medical definitions for mute
mute
[ myōōt ]
adj.
Unable or unwilling to speak.
n.
One who does not have the faculty of speech. No longer in technical use; considered offensive.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.