mute /ˈmjut/
 啞子,默音字母,弱音器(a.)啞的,無聲的,沈默的(vt.)減弱…的聲音(vi.)排泄


 mute /ˈmjut/ 形容詞



 Mute, n.
 1. One who does not speak, whether from physical inability, unwillingness, or other cause. Specifically: (a) One who, from deafness, either congenital or from early life, is unable to use articulate language; a deaf-mute. (b) A person employed by undertakers at a funeral. (c) A person whose part in a play does not require him to speak. (d) Among the Turks, an officer or attendant who is selected for his place because he can not speak.
 2. Phon. 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.
 3. Mus. 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.

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 Mute v. t.  To cast off; to molt.
    Have I muted all my feathers?   --Beau. & Fl.


 Mute, v. t. & i.  To eject the contents of the bowels; -- said of birds.


 Mute, n. The dung of birds.


 Mute, a.
 1. Not speaking; uttering no sound; silent.
 All the heavenly choir stood mute,
 And silence was in heaven.   --Milton.
 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 Zool., a European wild white swan (Cygnus olor syn. Cygnus gibbus), which produces no loud notes, in distinction from the Trumpeter swan.
 Syn: -- Silent; dumb; speechless.
 Usage: Mute, Silent, Dumb. One is silent who does not speak; one is dumb who can not, for want of the proper organs; as, a dumb beast, etc.; and hence, figuratively, we speak of a person as struck dumb with astonishment, etc.  One is mute who is held back from speaking by some special cause; as, he was mute through fear; mute astonishment, etc.  Such is the case with most of those who never speak from childhood; they are not ordinarily dumb, but mute because they are deaf, and therefore never learn to talk; and hence their more appropriate name is deaf-mutes.
 They spake not a word;
 But, like dumb statues, or breathing stones,
 Gazed each on other.   --Shak.
 All sat mute,
 Pondering the danger with deep thoughts.   --Milton.


 mute
      adj 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 [syn: tongueless, unspoken, wordless]
      2: lacking power of speech [syn: tongueless]
      3: unable to speak because of hereditary deafness [syn: dumb,
          silent]
      n 1: a deaf person who is unable to speak [syn: deaf-mute, {deaf-and-dumb
           person]
      2: a device used to soften the tone of a musical instrument
      v : deaden (a sound or noise), especially by wrapping [syn: muffle,
           dull, damp, dampen, tone down]