mute
UK: mjuːt | US: mjuːt
adj. silent; refraining from speech or utterance
vt. to soften or silence the sound of something
n. a device used to soften the sound of a musical instrument
The word "mute" originates from the Latin mutus, meaning "silent" or "dumb." It entered Middle English via Old French muet, retaining its core meaning of silence. The silent "-e" in Modern English is a vestige of French spelling conventions. Over time, "mute" expanded from describing human silence to encompassing sound suppression in objects (e.g., musical instruments). The root mut- appears in related words like "mutation" (originally implying a change so drastic it leaves one "speechless").
The violinist attached a mute to soften the instrument's tone.
He remained mute during the interrogation, refusing to answer.
She pressed the mute button to silence the television.
The audience was mute with shock after the performance.
In sign language, "mute" refers to the absence of vocal speech.