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&fist; 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.
Dryden.

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 (Zoöl.), a European
wild white swan (Cygnus gibbus), which produces no loud
notes.

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.


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