muffle
muffle
Definition
muf·fle (muf′əl)
transitive verb -·fled, -·fling
- to wrap up in a shawl, blanket, cloak, etc. so as to hide, keep warm, or protect
- Now Rare to keep (a person) from seeing or speaking by wrapping up the head
- to wrap or cover in order to deaden or prevent sound
- to deaden (a sound), as by wrapping
- to prevent the expression of; stifle
Etymology: ME muflen, prob. akin to OFr enmouflé, muffled < moufle, a mitten: see muff
noun
- Now Rare a wrap, covering, etc. used for muffling
- an oven in which pottery, etc. can be fired without being exposed directly to the flame
- the fleshy bare part of the upper lip and nose of certain mammals, as ruminants or rabbits
muffle
Synonyms
muffle
Usage Examples
Object
- thud: Above the incantations there was the muffled thud of music from the next field.
- peal: All shops and public houses closed and muffled peals on the church bells.
- roar: Sadly, the muffled roar of the bus brought me out of my fugue.
- laughter: They made a hasty exit into the passage that led to their rooms whence muffled laughter exploded.
- cry: He buried his head on his other arm, trying to muffle the cry of pain.
- drum: The cortege was led by Parkmount Flute Band with muffled drums.
Converse of object
- tip: A fourth Bristol site has produced possible evidence for the structure of the furnace into which tipping muffles were set.
Subject
- thickness: From the Kingâs Head came cheers and raucous yelling, muffled by the thickness of the tavern walls.
Modifies a noun
- furnace: The sample may be heated up to about 800°C using a small muffle furnace while the platen is mounted on a water-cooled loading arm.
- kiln: Other evidence from the site is consistent with a peripheral shelf muffle kiln.
- sound: However, walls also have disadvantages in that they can hide criminal activity and muffle sound.
- material: The small assemblage of muffle material gives little indication of its features.
Modifying Another Word
- slightly: Things are clear in the studio, slightly muffled outside.
- half: The bells were half muffled in memory of HRH Princess Margaret.
- so: The sound was still quite loud at 100 yards but it was so muffled as to be useless.
- not: The request has been made that bells are not muffled.
- rather: Audio English mono - sounds okay but rather muffled compared to the other tracks.
- well: Engine noise is well muffled and vibration can only really be felt through the gearstick.
Followed by an intransitive particle
- up: All the people in the streets are muffled up.
Preposition: in
- cloak: You see each dragged away by life, like one whom bravos have seized and muffled in a cloak.
Browse dictionary entries near muffle
- muffineer
- muffin
- muff
- muezzin
- muesli
- Muenster (cheese)
- mudstone
- mudslinging
- mudslide
- mudskipper
- muffled
- muffler
- muffuletta
- mufti
- mug
- mug shot
- mugger
- muggins
- muggy
- mugho pine
