Lewis & Short

mūtus, a, um, adj. [root mu-, to shut; Sanscr. mūkas, dumb; Gr. μύτις, μυάω; cf. Lat. mussare], dumb, mute (class.; cf.: infans, elinguis).

  1. I. Lit., that does not speak, silent.
    Of creatures who do not possess the faculty of speech, and can utter only inarticulate sounds: pecudes, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 8, § 24: bestiae, id. Fin. 1, 21, 71: agna, Hor. S. 2, 3, 219: armenta, Stat. Th. 5, 334: animalia, Juv. 8, 56: satius est mutum esse quam quod nemo intellegat dicere, Cic. Phil. 3, 9, 22: subjugale, animal, Vulg. 2 Pet. 2, 16: vere dici potest, magistratum legem esse loquentem, legem autem mutum magistratum, Cic. Leg. 3, 1, 2: papae! Jugularas hominem: quid ille? Thr. Mutus illico, he was struck speechless, was silent, could not say a word more, Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 27: ad mandata mancus est, caecus, mutus, Plaut. Merc. 3, 4, 45: mutum dices, you shall call me dumb, i. e. I will not say a word, id. Heaut. 4, 4, 26: omnis pro nobis gratia muta fuit, has not spoken a word, Ov. P. 2, 7, 52: mutus aspectus miserorum lacrimas movet, Quint. 6, 1, 26: numquam vox est de te mea muta, i. e. I have never ceased to praise thee, Ov. Tr. 5, 14, 17: dolore lyra est, id. H. 15, 198: spiritus, which makes one mute, Vulg. Marc. 9, 16; 9, 24.
    Of that which utters no sound, dumb, mute, silent: tintinnabulum, Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 163: imago, Cic. Cat. 3, 5: mare, the silent sea, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 69: consonantes, which cannot be pronounced alone, mutes, Quint. 1, 4, 6: artes, the plastic arts, arts of design, opp. to eloquence, Cic. de Or. 3, 7; also, artes, the silent arts, i. e. which do not concern themselves with language, as medicine, Verg. A. 12, 397: scientia, i. e. which does not impart the power of speaking, Quint. 5, 10, 119: instrumentum fundi, i. e. wagons, carts, Varr. R. R. 1, 17: magistri, i. e. books, Gell. 14, 2, 1: lapides, that say nothing, have no inscriptions on them, Hyg. de Lim. p. 156 Goes.: muta exta dicuntur, quibus nihil divinationis aut deorum responsi inesse animadvertunt, contra adjutoria, quae certum aliquid eventurum indicant, Paul. ex Fest. p. 157 Müll.: simulacra muta, dumb idols, Vulg. 1 Cor. 12, 2.
  2. II. Transf., of places where no sound is heard, silent, still: mutum forum, elinguem curiam, tacitam et fractam civitatem videbatis, Cic. post Red. 1, 3: solitudo, id. Mil. 19: spelunca, Stat. Ach. 1, 239.
    Of times: nullum fuit tempus, quod magis debuerit mutum esse a litteris, in which nothing should have been written, Cic. Att. 8, 14, 1: silentia noctis, the deep silence of night, Ov. M. 7, 184.
    Of things of which nothing is said: mutum aevum, not celebrated, unsung, Sil. 3, 579.
    As subst.
    1. A. mūtus, i, m., a dumb person, a mute (ante- and postclass): Char. Quin taces? Eut. Muto imperas, Plaut. Merc. 2, 4, 26: sicut mutus, Vulg. Psa. 38, 13: aperta erit lingua mutorum, id. Isa. 35, 6; Lact. 4, 15, 8: mutum neque stipulari neque promittere posse palam est, Gai. Inst. 3, 105.
    2. B. mūtum, i, n. (sc. animal), a dumb creature, brute: separat hoc nos A grege mutorum, Juv. 15, 143.