Emily Dickinson Lexicon

MUTE, n.¹

1. In law, a person that stands speechless when he ought to answer or plead.
2. In grammar, a letter that represents no sound; a close articulation which intercepts the voice. Mutes are of two kinds, pure and impure. The pure mutes instantly and entirely intercept the voice, as k, p and t, in the syllables ek, ep, et. The impure mutes intercept the voice less suddenly, as the articulations are less close. Such are b, d and g, as in the syllables eb, ed, eg.
3. In music, a little utensil of wood or brass, used on a violin to deaden or soften the sounds. – Busby.