From Middle English muet, from Anglo-Norman muet, moet, Middle French muet, from mu (“dumb, mute”) + -et, remodelled after Latin mūtus.
Meanings
Not having the power of speech; dumb.
Thus, while the mute Creation downward bend / Their sight, and to their Earthy Mother tend, / Man looks aloft; and with erected Eyes / Beholds his own hereditary Skies. / From ſuch rude Principles our Form began; / And Earth was Metamorphos'd into Man. 1717, John Dryden, “Book I”, in Ovid’s Metamorphoses in Fifteen Books. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 4:
Silent; not making a sound.
He ask’d, but all the Heav’nly Quire ſtood mute, / And ſilence was in Heav’n: […] 1667, John Milton, “Book III”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC, signature I2, verso, lines 217–218:
[…] The heathens have broken into Thy Temple, and Thou art silent! Esau mocks Thy Children, and Thou remainest mute! Show thyself, arise, and let Thy Voice resound, Thou mutest among all the mute! 1956, Ernst Kaiser and Eithne Wilkins (?, translators), Lion Feuchtwanger (German author), Raquel: The Jewess of Toledo (translation of Die Jüdin von Toledo), Messner, page 178
Not uttered; unpronounced; silent; also, produced by complete closure of the mouth organs which interrupt the passage of breath; said of certain letters.
Not giving a ringing sound when struck; said of a metal.
tg лол (not having the power of speech) · fr mutique (silent, not making a sound) · ar أَبْكَم (not having the power of speech) · kmr kirr (silent, not making a sound) · sk nehovoriaci (not having the power of speech) · enm muet (not having the power of speech) · it muto (not having the power of speech) · ttt lal (not having the power of speech) · my အ (not having the power of speech) · sk nemý (not having the power of speech) · fa بیصدا (silent, not making a sound) · wa mouwale (not having the power of speech) · su pireu (not having the power of speech) · fi mykkä (silent, not making a sound) · uk німи́й (not having the power of speech) · ms kelu (not having the power of speech) · vot nʹemoi (not having the power of speech) · ar صَامِت (silent, not making a sound) · mk нем (not having the power of speech) · enm muet (silent, not making a sound) · da umælende (not having the power of speech) · sne bebe' (not having the power of speech) · pl milczący (silent, not making a sound) · ga maon (not having the power of speech) · wa mouwea (not having the power of speech) · fr muet (not having the power of speech) · de still (silent, not making a sound) · ast mudu (silent, not making a sound) · da stum (not having the power of speech) · el άλαλος (not having the power of speech) · jv bisu (not having the power of speech) · hi मूक (not having the power of speech) · sa मूक (not having the power of speech) · oc mut (not having the power of speech) · rup mut (not having the power of speech) · cmn 无声的 (silent, not making a sound) · enm dumb (not having the power of speech) · or ମୂକ (not having the power of speech) · ru немо́й (silent, not making a sound) · kmr bêpêjn (silent, not making a sound) · az lal (not having the power of speech) · ca mut (silent, not making a sound) · ru безмо́лвный (silent, not making a sound) · fur mut (not having the power of speech) · pt mudo (not having the power of speech) · zza lal (diq) (not having the power of speech) · ady бзако (not having the power of speech) · fa لال (not having the power of speech) · uz lol (not having the power of speech) · zza bêhes (silent, not making a sound) · sh nȇm (not having the power of speech) · sl nem (not having the power of speech) · ja 口の利けない (not having the power of speech) · fi äänetön (silent, not making a sound) · bho गूंग (not having the power of speech) · ru бесслове́сный (not having the power of speech) · fr assourdi (not having the power of speech) · bg ням (not having the power of speech) · ar أَخْرَس (not having the power of speech) · ja 唖の (not having the power of speech) · is mállaus (not having the power of speech) · ms gagu (not having the power of speech) · ht bèbè (not having the power of speech) · fr silencieuse (silent, not making a sound) · hy լալ (not having the power of speech) · es mudo (silent, not making a sound) · nds dumm (not having the power of speech) · la infans (silent, not making a sound) · nrf muet (not having the power of speech) · cmn 啞 /哑 (not having the power of speech) · sh не̑м (not having the power of speech) · yue 啞 /哑 (not having the power of speech) · lv mēms (not having the power of speech) · he אילם (not having the power of speech) · tr dilsiz (not having the power of speech) · cmn 缄默的 (silent, not making a sound) · kmr bêdeng (silent, not making a sound) · mns-nor сӯпнелмта̄л (not having the power of speech) · fo dumbur (not having the power of speech) · ms bisu (not having the power of speech) · fo málleysur (not having the power of speech) · de stumm (not having the power of speech) · tl pipi (not having the power of speech) · cmn 啞巴 /哑巴 (not having the power of speech) · si ගොලු (not having the power of speech) · sv stum (not having the power of speech) · nl gedempt (silent, not making a sound) · got 𐌳𐌿𐌼𐌱𐍃 (not having the power of speech) · grc ἄλαλος (not having the power of speech) · an mudo (not having the power of speech) · it muto (silent, not making a sound) · no stum (not having the power of speech) · se gielaheapme (not having the power of speech) · gd balbh (not having the power of speech) · ca mut (not having the power of speech) · fi mykkä (not having the power of speech) · fr muet (silent, not making a sound) · grc ἄναυδος (not having the power of speech) · kmr lal (not having the power of speech) · af stil (not having the power of speech) · la mūtus (not having the power of speech) · cs němý (not having the power of speech) · fr silencieux (silent, not making a sound) · hy համր (not having the power of speech) · tly lol (not having the power of speech) · vi câm (not having the power of speech) · ms tunawicara (not having the power of speech) · grc ἐνεός (not having the power of speech) · hu néma (not having the power of speech) · mns-nor сӯпта̄л (not having the power of speech) · kmr mit (silent, not making a sound) · bg безмълвен (silent, not making a sound) · pt mudo (silent, not making a sound) · enm dumb (silent, not making a sound) · fr muette (silent, not making a sound) · eo muta (not having the power of speech) · arz أخرس (not having the power of speech) · kk үнсіз (silent, not making a sound) · hi गूंगा (not having the power of speech) · ckb لاڵ (not having the power of speech) · mnc ᡥᡝᠯᡝ (not having the power of speech) · sv tyst (silent, not making a sound) · dsb nimy (not having the power of speech) · grc ἄφωνος (not having the power of speech) · izh mykkä (not having the power of speech) · af stom (not having the power of speech) · fa گنگ (not having the power of speech) · su wisu (not having the power of speech) · ang dumb (not having the power of speech) · gl mudo (not having the power of speech) · sh није̑м (not having the power of speech) · lb stomm (not having the power of speech) · nl stil (silent, not making a sound) · ks ژھۄپہٕ (silent, not making a sound) · ru немо́й (not having the power of speech) · id bisu (not having the power of speech) · sh mȕtav (not having the power of speech) · la mūtus (silent, not making a sound) · ltg māms (not having the power of speech) · pl niemy (not having the power of speech) · sc mutu (not having the power of speech) · hu néma (silent, not making a sound) · mi wahangū (not having the power of speech) · ga tostach (silent, not making a sound) · qu amu (not having the power of speech) · mi hāngū (silent, not making a sound) · sh му̏тав (not having the power of speech) · id gagu (not having the power of speech) · be нямы́ (not having the power of speech) · ks کۆل (not having the power of speech) · ga balbh (not having the power of speech) · ja 黙々 (not having the power of speech) · kbd бзагуэ (not having the power of speech) · kk мылқау (not having the power of speech) · sh nijȇm (not having the power of speech) · nl stom (not having the power of speech) · la infans (not having the power of speech) · ast mudu (not having the power of speech) · eu mutu (not having the power of speech) · ro mut (not having the power of speech) · cy mud (not having the power of speech) · kl oqajuitsoq (not having the power of speech) · sc mudu (not having the power of speech) · th เงียบ (not having the power of speech) · ccc majnachalelo (not having the power of speech) · zza bêveng (silent, not making a sound) · es mudo (not having the power of speech) · nrf muet (silent, not making a sound)
From Middle English muet, from Anglo-Norman muet, moet, Middle French muet, from mu (“dumb, mute”) + -et, remodelled after Latin mūtus.
Meanings
(obsolete) A stopped consonant; a stop.
(obsolete) An actor who does not speak; a mime performer.
As for the poor honest Maid, whom all the Story is built upon, and who ought to be one of the principal Actors in the Play, she is commonly a Mute in it: 1668 OF Dramatick Poesie, AN ESSAY. By JOHN DRYDEN Esq; (John Dryden)
A person who does not have the power of speech.
The girl left, and presently returned, followed by two male mutes, to whom the Queen made another sign. 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:
A hired mourner at a funeral; an undertaker's assistant.
He asked about the undertaking business, and how many mutes went down with Lady Estrich’s remains […] 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter IX, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume II, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1850, →OCLC, page 95:
Then followed a long silence during which the mute turned to them and said, ‘Of course you'll be wanting an urn, sir?’ 1978, Lawrence Durrell, Livia (Avignon Quintet), Faber & Faber, published 1992, page 481:
The little box was eventually carried in one hand by the leading mute, while his colleague, with a finger placed on the lid, to prevent it from swaying, walked to one side and a little to the rear. 1950, Mervyn Peake, Gormenghast, London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, →OCLC:
An object for dulling the sound of an instrument, especially a brass instrument, or damper for pianoforte; a sordine.
An electronic switch or control that mutes the sound.
Another related primary control is called a mute, which is simply a switch that kills the signal altogether, allowing for a speedier turn-off than turning the fader all the way down rapidly. Mutes are probably more commonly used during multitrack music recording than during film mixing because in music all tracks are on practically all of the time, whereas workstations produce silence when there is no desired signal […] 2012, Tomlinson Holman, Sound for Film and Television, page 174:
A mute swan.
The trumpeters' fate seems likely to get tangled with that of the mute swan. Currently there's enough habitat for both species, but that may change if trumpeters flourish and mutes aren't controlled. Right now mutes are thriving. 1998, Bob Devine, National Geographic Society (U.S.), Alien invasion: America's battle with non-native animals and plants:
(Internet) An action of muting, especially in a discussion forum as a penalty for breaking rules.
From Middle English muet, from Anglo-Norman muet, moet, Middle French muet, from mu (“dumb, mute”) + -et, remodelled after Latin mūtus.
Meanings
(transitive) To silence, to make quiet.
(transitive) To turn off the sound of.
Please mute the music while I make a call.
(transitive) To cause the content or messages of (a social media account, a website, etc.) to no longer appear on one's feed, trigger notifications, or similar, especially without fully blocking.
es silenciar (turn off the sound of) · fr taire (silence, make quiet) · fi mykistää (silence, make quiet) · sv tysta (silence, make quiet) · sv stänga av (turn off the sound of) · pt mutar (turn off the sound of) · fr mettre en sourdine (turn off the sound of) · fr couper le son (turn off the sound of) · fi vaientaa (turn off the sound of) · es acallar (silence, make quiet) · bg заглушавам (silence, make quiet) · es mutear (turn off the sound of) · de stummschalten (turn off the sound of) · nn tysta (silence, make quiet) · fi hiljentää (silence, make quiet) · es quitar el sonido (turn off the sound of) · no dempe (turn off the sound of) · pt emudecer (silence, make quiet) · fr mettre en silencieux (turn off the sound of) · mi whakangū (silence, make quiet) · fi mykistää (turn off the sound of) · fi vaientaa (silence, make quiet) · pt calar (silence, make quiet) · tr susturmak (silence, make quiet) · sv stänga av (silence, make quiet) · hu lenémít (turn off the sound of) · es callar (silence, make quiet) · pt silenciar (turn off the sound of) · fr rendre silencieux (silence, make quiet) · sv mjuta (turn off the sound of) · nn tagna (silence, make quiet) · fr rendre muet (silence, make quiet) · nl dempen (silence, make quiet) · hu elnémít (silence, make quiet) · es enmudecer (silence, make quiet) · fi hiljentää (turn off the sound of) · fr amuïr (turn off the sound of) · no slå av (turn off the sound of) · fr amuïr (silence, make quiet) · lt nutildyti (silence, make quiet)
From Middle French muetir, probably a shortened form of esmeutir, ultimately from Proto-Germanic.
Meanings
The faeces of a hawk or falcon.
The Wart was familiar with the nests of Spar-hawk and Gos, the crazy conglomerations of sticks and oddments which had been taken over from squirrels or crows, and he knew how the twigs and the tree foot were splashed with white mutes, old bones, muddy feathers and castings. 1958, T[erence] H[anbury] White, chapter III, in The Once and Future King, New York, N.Y.: G. P. Putnam's Sons, →ISBN, book I (The Sword in the Stone):
On which was written not in words,
But hieroglyphic mute of birds 1662 (indicated as 1663), [Samuel Butler], “[The First Part of Hudibras]”, in Hudibras. The First and Second Parts. […], London: […] John Martyn and Henry Herringman, […], published 1678; republished in A[lfred] R[ayney] Waller, editor, Hudibras: Written in the Time of the Late Wars, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1905, →OCLC:
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
mutes
Number=Plur
lexicographic
Translations (2)
no dritt (bird droppings) · no skitt (bird droppings)
From Middle French muetir, probably a shortened form of esmeutir, ultimately from Proto-Germanic.
Meanings
(archaic) Of a bird: to defecate.
I Mute as a hauke dothe whan ſhe hath endued her gorge. 1530 July 28 (Gregorian calendar), Iohan Palsgraue [i.e., John Palsgrave], “The Table of Verbes”, in Lesclarcissement de la langue francoyse⸝ […], [London]: […] [Richard Pynson] fynnysshed by Iohan Haukyns, →OCLC, 3rd boke, folio cccvi, recto, column 1; reprinted Geneva: Slatkine Reprints, October 1972, →OCLC:
And I knewe not that there were Sparrowes in the wall, and mine eyes being open, the Sparrowes muted warme doung into mine eyes, […] 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Tobit 2:10:
The Birds were large, fine, and neat accordingly; looking as like the Men in my Country, as one Pea do's like another; for they eat and drank like Men, muted like Men, endued or digested like Men, farted like Men, but stunk like Devils, […] 1653, Francis Rabelais [i.e., François Rabelais], translated by [Thomas Urquhart, Peter Anthony Motteux], “How the Ringing Island had been Inhabited by the Siticines, who were Become Birds”, in The Works of Francis Rabelais, Doctor in Physick: Containing Five Books of the Lives, Heroick Deeds, and Sayings of Gargantua, and His Sonne Pantagruel. […], London: […] [Thomas Ratcliffe and Edward Mottershead] for Richard Baddeley, […], →OCLC; republished in volume II, London: […] Navarre Society […], [1948], →OCLC, 5th book, page 292:
All the pigeons, to the number of thirty-five, flew to and fro over the men's heads and muted upon them from mid-air; […] 1943 November – 1944 February (date written; published 1945 August 17), George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], Animal Farm […], London: Secker & Warburg, published May 1962, →OCLC:
Have I muted all my feathers? 1633 May 21 (licensing date; Gregorian calendar), John Fletcher, James Shirley, “The Night-Walker, or The Little Thief. A Comedy.”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1679, →OCLC, Act IV, scene iv: