Mustily Mus"ti·ly adjective In a musty state.

Mustiness Mus"ti·ness noun The quality or state of being musty.

Musty Mus"ty adjective [ Compar. Mustier ; superl. Mustiest .] [ From Latin mustum must; or perhaps from English moist . Confer Must , noun , Moist .] 1. Having the rank, pungent, offensive odor and taste which substances of organic origin acquire during warm, moist weather; foul or sour and fetid; moldy; as, musty corn; musty books. Harvey.

2. Spoiled by age; rank; stale.

The proverb is somewhat musty .

Shak.

3. Dull; heavy; spiritless. "That he may not grow musty and unfit for conversation." Addison.

Mutability Mu`ta·bil"i·ty noun [ Latin mutabilitas : confer French mutabilité .] The quality of being mutable, or subject to change or alteration, either in form, state, or essential character; susceptibility of change; changeableness; inconstancy; variation.

Plato confessed that the heavens and the frame of the world are corporeal, and therefore subject to mutability .

Stillingfleet.

Mutable Mu"ta·ble adjective [ Latin mutabilis , from mutare to change. See Move .] 1. Capable of alteration; subject to change; changeable in form, qualities, or nature.

Things of the most accidental and mutable nature.

South.

2. Changeable; inconstant; unsettled; unstable; fickle. "Most mutable wishes." Byron.

Syn. -- Changeable; alterable; unstable; unsteady; unsettled; wavering; inconstant; variable; fickle.

Mutableness Mu"ta·ble·ness noun The quality of being mutable.

Mutably Mu"ta·bly adverb Changeably.

Mutacism Mu"ta·cism noun See Mytacism .

Mutage Mu"tage noun [ French] A process for checking the fermentation of the must of grapes.

Mutandum Mu·tan"dum (mu*tăn"dŭm) noun ; plural Mutanda . [ Latin , from mutare to change.] A thing which is to be changed; something which must be altered; -- used chiefly in the plural.

Mutation Mu·ta"tion (mu*tā"shŭn) noun [ Latin mutatio , from mutare to change: confer French mutation . See Mutable .] Change; alteration, either in form or qualities.

The vicissitude or mutations in the superior globe are no fit matter for this present argument.

Bacon.

Mutation Mu·ta"tion noun 1. (Biol.) Gradual definitely tending variation, such as may be observed in a group of organisms in the fossils of successive geological levels.

2. (Biol.) (a) As now employed (first by de Vries), a sudden variation (the offspring differing from its parents in some well-marked character or characters) as distinguished from a gradual variation in which the new characters become fully developed only in the course of many generations. The occurrence of mutations, and the hereditary transmission, under some conditions, of the characters so appearing, are well-established facts; whether the process has played an important part in the evolution of the existing species and other groups of organisms is a disputed question. (b) The result of the above process; a suddenly produced variation.

Mutch Mutch (much) noun [ Confer Dutch mutse a cap, German mütze . Confer Amice a cape.] The close linen or muslin cap of an old woman. [ Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

Mutchkin Mutch"kin noun A liquid measure equal to four gills, or an imperial pint. [ Scot.]

Mute Mute (mūt) transitive verb [ Latin mutare to change. See Molt .] To cast off; to molt.

Have I muted all my feathers?

Beau. & Fl.

Mute Mute transitive verb & i. [ French mutir , émeutir , Old French esmeltir , from OD. smelten , prop., to melt. See Smelt .] To eject the contents of the bowels; -- said of birds. B. Jonson.

Mute Mute noun The dung of birds. Hudibras.

Mute Mute adjective [ Latin mutus ; confer Greek ... to shut, Sanskrit m...ta bound, m...ka dumb: confer Middle English muet , from French muet , a dim. of Old French mu , Latin mutus .] 1. Not speaking; uttering no sound; silent.

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.

2. Incapable of speaking; dumb. Dryden.

3. Not uttered; unpronounced; silent; also, produced by complete closure of the mouth organs which interrupt the passage of breath; -- said of certain letters. See 5th Mute , 2.

4. Not giving a ringing sound when struck; -- said of a metal.

Mute swan (Zoology) , 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.

Mute Mute noun 1. One who does not speak, whether from physical inability, unwillingness, or other cause. Specifically: (a) One who, from deafness, either congenital or from early life, is unable to use articulate language; a deaf-mute. (b) A person employed by undertakers at a funeral. (c) A person whose part in a play does not require him to speak. (d) Among the Turks, an officer or attendant who is selected for his place because he can not speak.

2. (Phon.) A letter which represents no sound; a silent letter; also, a close articulation; an element of speech formed by a position of the mouth organs which stops the passage of the breath; as, p , b , d , k , t .

3. (Mus.) A little utensil made of brass, ivory, or other material, so formed that it can be fixed in an erect position on the bridge of a violin, or similar instrument, in order to deaden or soften the tone.

Mute-hill Mute"-hill` noun See Moot- hill . [ Scot.]

Mutely Mute"ly adverb Without uttering words or sounds; in a mute manner; silently.

Muteness Mute"ness noun The quality or state of being mute; speechlessness.

Mutessarif Mu·tes`sa·rif" noun [ Turk. & Arabic muteçarif freely disposing of anything, master.] In Turkey, an administrative authority of any of certain sanjaks. They are appointed directly by the Sultan.

Mutessarifat Mu·tes`sa·ri·fat" noun [ Turk. & Arabic muteçarifah office of a mutessarif.] In Turkey, a sanjak whose head is a mutessarif.

Mutic, Muticous Mu"tic, Mu"ti·cous adjective [ Latin muticus , for mutilus . See Mutilate .] (Bot. & Zoology) Without a point or pointed process; blunt.

Mutilate Mu"ti·late adjective [ Latin mutilatus , past participle of mutilare to mutilate, from mutilus maimed; confer Greek ..., .... Confer Mutton .] 1. Deprived of, or having lost, an important part; mutilated. Sir T. Browne.

2. (Zoology) Having finlike appendages or flukes instead of legs, as a cetacean.

Mutilate Mu"ti·late noun (Zoology) A cetacean, or a sirenian.

Mutilate Mu"ti·late transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Mutilated ; present participle & verbal noun Mutilating .] 1. To cut off or remove a limb or essential part of; to maim; to cripple; to hack; as, to mutilate the body, a statue, etc.

2. To destroy or remove a material part of, so as to render imperfect; as, to mutilate the orations of Cicero.

Among the mutilated poets of antiquity, there is none whose fragments are so beautiful as those of Sappho.

Addison.

Mutilated gear , Mutilated wheel (Machinery) , a gear wheel from a portion of whose periphery the cogs are omitted. It is used for giving intermittent movements.

Mutilation Mu`ti·la"tion noun [ Latin mutilatio : confer French mutilation .] The act of mutilating, or the state of being mutilated; deprivation of a limb or of an essential part.

Mutilator Mu"ti·la"tor noun [ Confer French mutilateur .] One who mutilates.

Mutilous Mu"ti·lous adjective [ Latin mutilus . See Mutilate .] Mutilated; defective; imperfect. [ Obsolete]

Mutine Mu"tine noun [ French mutin .] A mutineer. [ Obsolete]

Mutine Mu"tine intransitive verb [ French mutiner .] To mutiny. [ Obsolete]

Mutineer Mu"ti·neer` noun [ See Mutiny .] One guilty of mutiny.

Muting Mut"ing noun Dung of birds.

Mutinous Mu"ti·nous adjective [ See Mutiny .] Disposed to mutiny; in a state of mutiny; characterized by mutiny; seditious; insubordinate.

The city was becoming mutinous .

Macaulay.

-- Mu"ti*nous*ly , adverb -- Mu"ti*nous*ness , noun

Mutiny Mu"ti·ny noun ; plural Mutinies . [ From mutine to mutiny, from French se mutiner , from French mutin stubborn, mutinous, from Old French meute riot, Late Latin movita , from movitus , for Latin motus , past participle of movere to move. See Move .] 1. Insurrection against constituted authority, particularly military or naval authority; concerted revolt against the rules of discipline or the lawful commands of a superior officer; hence, generally, forcible resistance to rightful authority; insubordination.

In every mutiny against the discipline of the college, he was the ringleader.

Macaulay.

2. Violent commotion; tumult; strife. [ Obsolete]

To raise a mutiny betwixt yourselves.

Shak.

Mutiny act (Law) , an English statute reënacted annually to punish mutiny and desertion. Wharton.

Syn. -- See Insurrection .

Mutiny Mu"ti·ny intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Mutinied ; present participle & verbal noun Mutinying .] 1. To rise against, or refuse to obey, lawful authority in military or naval service; to excite, or to be guilty of, mutiny or mutinous conduct; to revolt against one's superior officer, or any rightful authority.

2. To fall into strife; to quarrel. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Mutism Mut"ism noun The condition, state, or habit of being mute, or without speech. Max Müller.

Mutoscope Mu"to·scope noun [ Latin mutare to change + -scope .] A simple form of moving-picture machine in which the series of views, exhibiting the successive phases of a scene, are printed on paper and mounted around the periphery of a wheel. The rotation of the wheel brings them rapidly into sight, one after another, and the blended effect gives a semblance of motion.

Mutter Mut"ter intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Muttered ; present participle & verbal noun Muttering .] [ Prob. of imitative origin; confer Latin muttire , mutire .] 1. To utter words indistinctly or with a low voice and lips partly closed; esp., to utter indistinct complaints or angry expressions; to grumble; to growl.

Wizards that peep, and that mutter .

Is. viii. 19.

Meantime your filthy foreigner will stare,
And mutter to himself.

Dryden.

2. To sound with a low, rumbling noise.

Thick lightnings flash, the muttering thunder rolls.

Pope.

Mutter Mut"ter transitive verb To utter with imperfect articulations, or with a low voice; as, to mutter threats. Shak.

Mutter Mut"ter noun Repressed or obscure utterance.

Mutterer Mut"ter·er noun One who mutters.

Mutteringly Mut"ter·ing·ly adverb With a low voice and indistinct articulation; in a muttering manner.

Mutton Mut"ton noun [ Middle English motoun , Old French moton , molton , a sheep, wether, French mouton , Late Latin multo , by transposition of l from Latin mutilus mutilated. See Mutilate .] 1. A sheep. [ Obsolete] Chapman.

Not so much ground as will feed a mutton .

Sir H. Sidney.

Muttons , beeves, and porkers are good old words for the living quadrupeds.

Hallam.

2. The flesh of a sheep.

The fat of roasted mutton or beef.

Swift.

3. A loose woman; a prostitute. [ Obsolete]

Mutton bird (Zoology) , the Australian short-tailed petrel ( Nectris brevicaudus ). -- Mutton chop , a rib of mutton for broiling, with the end of the bone at the smaller part chopped off. -- Mutton fish (Zoology) , the American eelpout. See Eelpout . -- Mutton fist , a big brawny fist or hand. [ Colloq.] Dryden. -- Mutton monger , a pimp. [ Low & Obsolete] Chapman. -- To return to one's muttons . [ A translation of a phrase from a farce by De Brueys, revenons à nos moutons let us return to our sheep.] To return to one's topic, subject of discussion, etc. [ Humorous]

I willingly return to my muttons .

H. R. Haweis.

Muttony Mut"ton·y adjective Like mutton; having a flavor of mutton.

Mutual Mu"tu·al adjective [ French mutuel , Latin mutuus , orig., exchanged, borrowed, lent; akin to mutare to change. See Mutable .] 1. Reciprocally acting or related; reciprocally receiving and giving; reciprocally given and received; reciprocal; interchanged; as, a mutual love, advantage, assistance, aversion, etc.

Conspiracy and mutual promise.

Sir T. More.

Happy in our mutual help,
And mutual love.

Milton.

A certain shyness on such subjects, which was mutual between the sisters.

G. Eliot.

2. Possessed, experienced, or done by two or more persons or things at the same time; common; joint; as, mutual happiness; a mutual effort. Burke.

A vast accession of misery and woe from the mutual weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth.

Bentley.

» This use of mutual as synonymous with common is inconsistent with the idea of interchange, or reciprocal relation, which properly belongs to it; but the word has been so used by many writers of high authority. The present tendency is toward a careful discrimination.

Mutual , as Johnson will tell us, means something reciprocal, a giving and taking. How could people have mutual ancestors?

P. Harrison.

Mutual insurance , agreement among a number of persons to insure each other against loss, as by fire, death, or accident. -- Mutual insurance company , one which does a business of insurance on the mutual principle, the policy holders sharing losses and profits pro rata .

Syn. -- Reciprocal; interchanged; common.

Mutualism Mu"tu·al·ism noun (Ethics) The doctrine of mutual dependence as the condition of individual and social welfare. F. Harrison. H. Spencer. Mallock.

Mutuality Mu`tu·al"i·ty noun [ Confer French mutualité .] 1. The quality of correlation; reciprocation; interchange; interaction; interdependence.

2. (Law) Reciprocity of consideration. Wharton.

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