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Muzzle

//ˈmʌzəl// noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The protruding part of an animal's head which includes the nose, mouth and jaws.

    "The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes, / The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes, […]"

  2. 2
    forward projecting part of the head of certain animals; includes the jaws and nose wordnet
  3. 3
    A person's mouth. broadly, derogatory, slang
  4. 4
    restraint put into a person's mouth to prevent speaking or shouting wordnet
  5. 5
    A device used to prevent an animal from biting or eating, which is worn on its snout.
Show 5 more definitions
  1. 6
    the open circular discharging end of a gun wordnet
  2. 7
    The mouth or the end for entrance or discharge of a gun, pistol etc., that the bullet emerges from.
  3. 8
    a leather or wire restraint that fits over an animal's snout (especially a dog's nose and jaws) and prevents it from eating or biting wordnet
  4. 9
    A piece of the forward end of the plow-beam by which the traces are attached. Scotland
  5. 10
    An openwork covering for the nose, used for the defense of the horse, and forming part of the bards in the 15th and 16th centuries. historical, obsolete
Verb
  1. 1
    To bind or confine an animal's mouth by putting a muzzle, as to prevent it from eating or biting. transitive

    "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn."

  2. 2
    tie a gag around someone's mouth in order to silence them wordnet
  3. 3
    To restrain (from speaking, expressing opinion or acting); to gag; to silence; to censor. figuratively, transitive

    "Those who want to muzzle everyone else are likely nothing less than pseudovirtuous."

  4. 4
    prevent from speaking out wordnet
  5. 5
    To veil, mask, muffle. obsolete, transitive
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  1. 6
    fit with a muzzle wordnet
  2. 7
    To fondle with the closed mouth; to nuzzle. obsolete, transitive

    "Venus her self would sit Muzzling and Gazing them in the Eyes"

  3. 8
    To bring the muzzle or mouth near. intransitive

    "The Bear comes directly up to him, Muzzles and Smells to him."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From earlier muzle, musle, mousle, mussel, mozell, from Middle English mosel, from Old French musel, museau, muzeau (modern French museau), from Late Latin mūsus (“snout”), probably expressive of the shape of protruded lips and/or influenced by Latin mūgīre (“to moo, bellow”). Doublet of museau. Displaced native Middle English kevel from Old English cæfl (“gag, bit, muzzle”), see English cavel.

Etymology 2

From earlier muzle, musle, mousle, mussel, mozell, from Middle English mosel, from Old French musel, museau, muzeau (modern French museau), from Late Latin mūsus (“snout”), probably expressive of the shape of protruded lips and/or influenced by Latin mūgīre (“to moo, bellow”). Doublet of museau. Displaced native Middle English kevel from Old English cæfl (“gag, bit, muzzle”), see English cavel.

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