muzzle

[ muhz-uhl ]
See synonyms for muzzle on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the mouth, or end for discharge, of the barrel of a gun, pistol, etc.

  2. the projecting part of the head of an animal, including jaws, mouth, and nose.

  1. a device, usually an arrangement of straps or wires, placed over an animal's mouth to prevent the animal from biting, eating, etc.

verb (used with object),muz·zled, muz·zling.
  1. to put a muzzle on (an animal or its mouth) so as to prevent biting, eating, etc.

  2. to restrain from speech, the expression of opinion, etc.: The censors muzzled the press.

  1. Nautical. to attach the cable to the stock of (an anchor) by means of a light line to permit the anchor to be pulled loose readily.

Origin of muzzle

1
1350–1400; Middle English musel<Middle French <Medieval Latin mūsellum, diminutive of mūsum snout < ?

Other words for muzzle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use muzzle in a sentence

  • General Sickles had his other batteries in position along the narrow road, the muzzles of the guns pointing southwest.

    The Boys of '61 | Charles Carleton Coffin.
  • There was a crashing of glass as the rifle muzzles were thrust in through the cabin windows.

British Dictionary definitions for muzzle

muzzle

/ (ˈmʌzəl) /


noun
  1. the projecting part of the face, usually the jaws and nose, of animals such as the dog and horse

  2. a guard or strap fitted over an animal's nose and jaws to prevent it biting or eating

  1. the front end of a gun barrel

verb(tr)
  1. to prevent from being heard or noticed: to muzzle the press

  2. to put a muzzle on (an animal)

  1. to take in (a sail)

Origin of muzzle

1
C15 mosel, from Old French musel, diminutive of muse snout, from Medieval Latin mūsus, of unknown origin

Derived forms of muzzle

  • muzzler, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012