mute

mute
mute ► ADJECTIVE 1) refraining from speech or temporarily speechless. 2) dated lacking the power of speech. 3) (of a letter) not pronounced.
► NOUN 1) dated a person without the power of speech. 2) historical a professional attendant or mourner at a funeral. 3) a clamp placed over the bridge of a stringed instrument to deaden the resonance of the strings. 4) a pad or cone placed in the opening of a wind instrument.
► VERB 1) deaden or muffle the sound of. 2) reduce the strength or intensity of. 3) (muted) (of colour or lighting) not bright; subdued.
DERIVATIVES mutely adverb muteness noun.
USAGE To describe a person without the power of speech as mute (especially as in deaf mute) is today likely to cause offence. Since there are no accepted alternative terms in general use, the solution may be to use a longer construction, such as she is both deaf and unable to speak .
ORIGIN Latin mutus.

English terms dictionary. 2015.

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  • Mute — 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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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