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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

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 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]


D \D\ (d[=e])
1. The fourth letter of the English alphabet, and a vocal
consonant. The English letter is from Latin, which is from
Greek, which took it from Ph[oe]nician, the probable
ultimate origin being Egyptian. It is related most nearly
to t and th; as, Eng. deep, G. tief; Eng. daughter, G.
tochter, Gr. qyga`thr, Skr. duhitr. See Guide to
Pronunciation, [root]178, 179, 229.
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2. (Mus.) The nominal of the second tone in the model major
scale (that in C), or of the fourth tone in the relative
minor scale of C (that in A minor), or of the key tone in
the relative minor of F.
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3. As a numeral D stands for 500. in this use it is not the
initial of any word, or even strictly a letter, but one
half of the sign ? (or ? ) the original Tuscan numeral for
1000.
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