mute swan

noun

: a common white swan (Cygnus olor) that produces no loud notes, is native to Europe and western Asia, and has been introduced into parts of the U.S.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Owls have 14; ducks have 16; the mute swan has a whopping 25. —

Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Oct. 2022 On that day there will seven live trumpeter swans, one tundra and 14 mute swan swimming in the area where the dead swans were discovered. —

Carrie Napoleon, chicagotribune.com, 28 Dec. 2021 This is not the first time a local government has attempted to eradicate the mute swan population. —

Emma Stein, Detroit Free Press, 16 Aug. 2021 The necropsy also confirmed the swan is a mute swan, an invasive species in North America, and the same breed as those living in the Public Garden. —

BostonGlobe.com, 3 June 2021 As an invasive species, the mute swan has stirred debate in New York. —

New York Times, 10 Nov. 2020 Once in a while, a mute swan came as though out of nowhere. —

New York Times, 12 Nov. 2019 Designed by Chicago architect Kathryn Quinn, the pavilion was an eclectic postmodern confection adorned with swan sculptures that recalled the gift of four mute swans that began the zoo in 1868. —

Blair Kamin, chicagotribune.com, 11 Oct. 2019 The Queen owns all mute swans (the most common of three local species) found on open water in the U.K. as part of a tradition dating back to the 12th century. —

Phil Boucher, PEOPLE.com, 22 July 2019 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mute swan.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.