Have I muted all my feathers? Beau. *** Fl.

All the heavenly choir stood mute,
And silence was in heaven. Milton.

* 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.

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.