muzzle
Americannoun
-
muzzles
plural
-
the mouth, or end for discharge, of the barrel of a gun, pistol, etc.
-
the projecting part of the head of an animal, including jaws, mouth, and nose.
-
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)
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muzzles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
muzzled,
past participle, past
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muzzling
present participle
-
to put a muzzle on (an animal or its mouth) so as to prevent biting, eating, etc.
-
to restrain from speech, the expression of opinion, etc..
The censors muzzled the press.
-
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.
noun
-
the projecting part of the face, usually the jaws and nose, of animals such as the dog and horse
-
a guard or strap fitted over an animal's nose and jaws to prevent it biting or eating
-
the front end of a gun barrel
verb
-
to prevent from being heard or noticed
to muzzle the press
-
to put a muzzle on (an animal)
-
to take in (a sail)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
muzzlesimple
-
muzzlessimple
-
have muzzledperfect
-
has muzzledperfect
-
am muzzlingprogressive
-
are muzzlingprogressive
-
is muzzlingprogressive
-
have been muzzlingperfect progressive
-
has been muzzlingperfect progressive
Past
-
muzzledsimple
-
had muzzledperfect
-
was muzzlingprogressive
-
were muzzlingprogressive
-
had been muzzlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of muzzle
1350–1400; Middle English musel < Middle French < Medieval Latin mūsellum, diminutive of mūsum snout < ?
Explanation
A muzzle is a guard that covers an animal's mouth to keep it from biting. If your dog is aggressive, you might have to put a muzzle on her when you take her to the dog park. Muzzle comes from the Latin morsus meaning "bite." A muzzle is the nose and mouth of an animal like a cat or dog. It's also the name for a guard made of straps or wire that's worn over this part of an animal's face to keep it from biting. It's the mouth of a gun, too. If you muzzle someone, you gag him to prevent him from speaking.
Vocabulary lists containing muzzle
Of Mice and Men
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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
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"The Highwayman"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
However, student union leader Ryad Rani told local press that the effort was "yet another attempt to muzzle the debate" and to gain time.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
Symptoms of the disease include nasal discharge, redness and swelling of the lips, nose and muzzle, lameness or reluctance to stand, a decrease in milk production, and diarrhoea in cattle.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Costume designer Colleen Atwood devised the ensemble, while Ed Cubberly created the famous fiberglass muzzle, deliberately leaving it uncoated to evoke the look of dried, taut skin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Deborah famously tried to muzzle Ava a few times, only to back off when she realized that by hurting her protégé, she was wounding herself.
From Salon ● May 29, 2026
The fox nudged his muzzle into the glove’s webbing, although he hated the leather smell.
From "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker
After hundreds of generations of human breeding, the dogs that emerged had shorter muzzles, smaller teeth and an enormous range of sizes, from lapdogs to hulking guardians.
From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2026
They observed six of the animals licking nectar-filled flowers from as many as 30 plants, one after another—coating their muzzles in pollen in the process.
From Science Magazine ● Nov. 19, 2024
The fuzzy white fungus officially known as Pseudogymnoascus destructans covers their wings, tails and muzzles in a thick coat.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2024
Kuehn also testified that producers had tasked her with obtaining dramatic photographs of gun muzzles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2024
A line of ornate muzzles commanded their own section, and there was a pile of ball and chains in the corner.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
The American Pope, meanwhile, refuses to be muzzled.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026
According to Inc.'s Bruce Crumley, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield are “reportedly looking to reacquire the beloved ice cream brand, claiming its corporate owner has muzzled the company's social activism.”
From Salon ● Mar. 4, 2025
"The dog was in a public place not abiding by the conditions to be muzzled and kept on a lead," added Ms Wade.
From BBC ● Jan. 29, 2025
Dogs registered before the ban must be neutered, muzzled in public and kept in secure conditions.
From BBC ● Dec. 19, 2024
But it’s not like Mom and Dad muzzled you.
From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy
Experts said such provisos still have the effect of muzzling a victim’s speech and hindering public accountability.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 19, 2025
Lu said his “recourse to legal action has never been about muzzling fair criticism. It’s about defending against false claims that can seriously damage reputations.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 28, 2025
“I know that’s not as interesting as muzzling a comedian, but it’s so important to have a free press, and it is nuts that we aren’t paying more attention to it.”
From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2025
Fayenson said the couple had started muzzling the dog after Venafro was injured.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 31, 2024
"No wonder Mr. Bilton preferred heaven," thought Anna-Felicitas, also a little restless at the completeness of her muzzling.
From Christopher and Columbus by Elizabeth
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