mute

In music, a "mute" is a device used to alter the sound of an instrument. For string instruments, a mute is attached to the bridge to soften the tone. Brass instruments, such as the trumpet and trombone, also use mutes, which were popularized in 20th-century music and provide a distinct tonal color. While mutes have been experimented with on woodwind instruments, they have not yielded satisfactory results. The term "mute" can also refer to the act of silencing or deadening sound, such as turning off the sound on a television or muffling traffic noise by closing windows.12