muffler

American  

[muhf-ler] / ˈmʌf lər /

noun

1. a scarf worn around one's neck for warmth.

2. any of various devices for deadening sound, as the sound of escaping gases of an internal-combustion engine.

3. anything used for muffling sound.

4. Armor. a mittenlike glove worn with a mail hauberk.

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muffler British  

/ ˈmʌflə /

noun

1. a thick scarf, collar, etc

2. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): silencer.  any device designed to reduce noise, esp the tubular device containing baffle plates in the exhaust system of a motor vehicle

3. something that muffles

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Etymology

Origin of muffler

First recorded in 1525–35; muffle ¹ + -er ¹

Example Sentences

He even came to see me in his second-hand car, which was lacking a muffler, and we drove noisily over to Bass Lake and went swimming.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 2, 2025

Kelce has gone the extra mile, buying a onetime muffler shop to expand Operation Breakthrough’s campus and create the Ignition Lab, in which students convert dilapidated jalopies into lacquered, showroom-ready electric vehicles.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 5, 2024

She’s had to repair the radiator and replace a muffler, and had some electrical work done when mice chewed wiring to the battery.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 25, 2023

According to court documents, a Portsmouth homeowner was working on his property in September 2020 when he heard the loud muffler of a passing car.

From Washington Times • May 3, 2023

Mr. Clyde stuck the fork in Vendor Reilly’s muffler and ordered him out of the garage, threatening him with dismissal if he didn’t show up early to begin working the French Quarter.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole