muzzle Hear it!

muzzle Definition

muz·zle (muzəl)

noun

  1. the projecting part of the head of a dog, horse, etc., including the mouth, nose, and jaws; snout
  2. a device, as of straps, fastened over the mouth of an animal to prevent its biting or eating
  3. anything that prevents free speech or discussion
  4. the front end of the barrel of a firearm

Etymology: ME mosel < OFr musel, snout, muzzle, dim. of mus < ML musum < ?

transitive verb -·zled, -·zling

  1. to put a muzzle on (an animal)
  2. to prevent from talking or expressing an opinion; gag

muzzle Related Forms
muz·zler noun
muzzle Synonyms

muzzle

v.

  1. To fasten a muzzle upon

    cage, sheathe, cover, wrap, muffle, envelop, deaden; see also bind 1, gag 1.

    Antonyms release*, unfasten*, unbind. *

  2. To silence

    gag, restrain, trammel, stifle, restrict, repress, suppress, check, stop, stop one's mouth, hush, still, shush*; see also prevent, quiet 2.

muzzle Usage Examples

Object

  • ox: That's what Paul said to Timothy: ' The scripture saith, thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn.
  • dog: Indeed, the owner of the dog told officers that after the incident she had made the decision to muzzle the dog in public.
  • press: Local journalists told the CPJ the Zanzibar authorities are seeking to further muzzle the press in the run-up to general elections in October.

Converse of object

  • wear: Sometimes other dogs can be funny with a dog wearing a muzzle.
  • remove: Slightly tilt the bottle and carefully remove the wire muzzle and foil.

Adjective modifier

  • blunt: The jaw is wide at the hinge tapering to a broad blunt muzzle.
  • broad: The jaw is wide at the hinge tapering to a broad blunt muzzle.
  • black: Pretty mare with star and snip on a black muzzle.
  • short: Good broad skull, nice short square muzzle, well placed eyes with good expression.
  • fine: The head viewed face on resembles a triangle tapering in straight lines to a fine muzzle.
  • long: Judy said that the proportions should be a slightly longer muzzle compared to skull.

Modifies a noun

  • velocity: However, this would be much less of a problem with a high muzzle velocity.
  • loader: We need new weapons, not the muzzle loader types.
  • loading: The largest muzzle loading guns produced for the navy.
  • brake: The gun had a muzzle brake which absorbed up to 55 percent of the recoil energy.
  • blast: I slide off my seat looking out the port and the muzzle blast blows my hair back.
  • rifle: The muzzle loading rifle presents an entirely different problem.

Modifying Another Word

  • not: There is also open coursing on the English model, for which the greyhounds are not muzzled.

Used with why or when

  • when: Greyhounds are often seen as being vicious animals because they wear muzzles when racing.

Preposition: of

  • gun: The trainee would lie on the floor with the muzzle of the gun touching the target.
muzzle Quotes

I put the muzzle of the revolver into my right ear and pulled the trigger† I was out by one. I remember an extraordinary sense of jubilation, as if carnival lights had been switched on in a drab street. My heart knocked in its cage, and life contained an infinite number of possibilities.

—Greene, (Henry) Graham

Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.

—Bible (Old Testament)

Browse dictionary entries near muzzle

  1. muzhik
  2. Muzak
  3. Muybridge
  4. mux or MUX
  5. muumuu
  6. mutule
  7. mutuel
  8. mutually
  9. mutualize
  10. mutuality of remedy
  1. muzzle velocity
  2. muzzled
  3. muzzleloader
  4. muzzy
  5. mV
  6. MVP
  7. mW
  8. Mweru
  9. Mx
  10. MX missile