muzzle
noun
the mouth, or end for discharge, of the barrel of a gun, pistol, etc.
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Brady Addresses Rivalry But Adds Nothing to It FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — If there were any doubt that the were muzzling themselves this week, cleared it up.
From New York Times ● Dec. 3, 2010