H. R. Haweis.
Mut"ton*y (?), a. Like mutton; having a flavor of mutton.
Mu"tu*al (?), a. [F. mutuel, L. 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.
Mu"tu*al*ism (?), n. (Ethics) The doctrine of mutual dependence as the
condition of individual and social welfare. F. Harrison. H. Spencer.
Mallock.
Mu`tu*al"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. mutualité.] 1. The quality of
correlation; reciprocation; interchange; interaction; interdependence.