*mute*

v. i. 1. To obtain or bargain for exemption or substitution; to effect a commutation. [ 1913 Webster ]

He . . . thinks it unlawful to commute, and that he is bound to pay his vow in kind. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To pay, or arrange to pay, in gross instead of part by part; as, to commute for a year's travel over a route. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. to travel regularly from a place of residence to another place, such as where one's daily work is performed. Often, such travel is performed between a suburb and a nearby city; as, to commute to work. [ PJC ]

n. One who commutes; especially, one who commutes in traveling. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. of or pertaining to commuting, in the sense of traveling; used for commuting; as, a commuter airline. [ PJC ]

n. A cornemuse. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A person who is deaf and dumb; one who, through deprivation or defect of hearing, has either failed the acquire the power of speech, or has lost it. [ See Illust. of Dactylology. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Deaf-mutes are still so called, even when, by artificial methods, they have been taught to speak imperfectly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. the condition of being a deaf-mute; a congenital deafness that results in inability to speak. [ 1913 Webster WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. [ L. immutare, immutatum; perf. im- in + mutare to change : cf. OF. immuter. ] To change or alter. [ Obs. ] J. Salkeld. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. mutare to change. See Molt. ] To cast off; to molt. [ 1913 Webster ]

Have I muted all my feathers? Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. & i. [ F. mutir, émeutir, OF. esmeltir, fr. OD. smelten, prop., to melt. See Smelt. ] To eject the contents of the bowels; -- said of birds. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The dung of birds. Hudibras. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. mutus; cf. Gr. my`ein to shut, Skr. mūta bound, mūka dumb: cf. OE. muet, fr. F. muet, a dim. of OF. mu, L. mutus. ] 1. Not speaking; uttering no sound; silent. [ 1913 Webster ]

All the heavenly choir stood mute,
And silence was in heaven. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Incapable of speaking; dumb. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Not giving a ringing sound when struck; -- said of a metal. [ 1913 Webster ]

Mute swan (Zool.), a European wild white swan (Cygnus olor syn. Cygnus gibbus), which produces no loud notes, in distinction from the Trumpeter swan. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Silent; dumb; speechless. -- 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. [ 1913 Webster ] They spake not a word;
But, like dumb statues, or breathing stones,
Gazed each on other. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ] All sat mute,
Pondering the danger with deep thoughts. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. same as quiet; as, the muted atmosphere of a church. Opposite of noisy.
Syn. -- hushed. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. softened; rendered less loud or harsh; -- of sounds and instruments which produce sounds; as, muted trumpets.
Syn. -- dull, muffled, softened. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. See Moot-hill. [ Scot. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Without uttering words or sounds; in a mute manner; silently. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being mute; speechlessness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Turk. & Ar. muteçarif freely disposing of anything, master. ] In Turkey prior to the revolution, an administrative authority of any of certain sanjaks. They were appointed directly by the Sultan. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ Turk. & Ar. muteçarifah office of a mutessarif. ] In Turkey, a sanjak whose head is a mutessarif. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ L. obmutescens, p. pr of obmutescere to become dumb; ob (see Ob-) + mutescere to grow dumb, fr. mutus dumb. ] 1. A becoming dumb; loss of speech. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A keeping silent or mute. Paley. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. permutare, permutatum; per + mutare to change: cf. F. permuter. ] 1. To interchange; to transfer reciprocally. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To exchange; to barter; to traffic. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Bought, trucked, permuted, or given. Hakluyt. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who permutes. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having the faculty of speech but imperfectly developed or partially lost. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A semimute person. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Transmuted; p. pr. & vb. n. Transmuting. ] [ L. transmutare, transmutatum; trans across + mutare to change. See Mutable, and cf. Transmew. ] To change from one nature, form, or substance, into another; to transform. [ 1913 Webster ]

The caresses of parents and the blandishments of friends transmute us into idols. Buckminster. [ 1913 Webster ]

Transmuting sorrow into golden joy
Free from alloy. H. Smith. [ 1913 Webster ]