Defn: To eject the contents of the bowels; — said of birds. B.
Jonson.
MUTE
Mute, n.
Defn: The dung of birds. Hudibras.
MUTE
Mute, a. Etym: [L. mutus; cf. Gr. m bound, m dumb: cf. OE. muet, fr.
F. muet, a dim. of OF. mu, L. mutus.]
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. 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. 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.