Definition of: mute

(myt) adjective
1. Uttering no word or sound; silent.
2. Law Refusing to plead upon arraignment.
3. Lacking the power of speech; dumb.
4. Phonet. Of or pertaining to a stop consonant. See synonyms under TACITURN.
—noun
1. One who is silent; especially, a person who refuses or is unable to speak; a person who is dumb by reason of deafness or other infirmity: also called deafmute.
2. An undertaker's assistant.
3. Law A prisoner who refuses to plead on arraignment.
4. Phonet. A stop consonant, as (b), (p), (t), (d).
5. A device to silence, muffle, or deaden the tone of a musical instrument.
—v.t. mut·ed, mut·ing To deaden or muffle the sound of (a musical instrument). [<L mutus dumb]
—mute′ly adverb
—mute′ness noun