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Definition of mute swan
mute swan
Plural:mute swans
mute swan Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
6
Tier
2
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A large waterbird (Cygnus olor) native to Eurasia, widely introduced elsewhere, distinguished by its heavy white plumage, long curved neck, and an orange bill with a pronounced black basal knob.
Example
"We watched a graceful pair of mute swans gliding across the misty surface of the ornamental lake."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for mute swan• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the belief that the bird is completely silent, though it does produce hissing and grunting sounds; it lacks the loud, carrying calls of other swan species. 'Swan' comes from Old English 'swan'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Mute swan. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/mute swan