Mute  —adj. 1 silent, refraining from or temporarily bereft of speech. 2 (of a person or animal) dumb. 3 not expressed in speech (mute protest). 4 (of a letter) not pronounced. —n. 1 dumb person. 2 device for damping the sound of a musical instrument. 3 unsounded consonant. —v. (-ting) 1 deaden or soften the sound of (esp. A musical instrument). 2 a tone down, make less intense. B (as muted adj.) (of colours etc.) Subdued.  mutely adv. Muteness n.  [latin mutus]