Muzzle

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: muz=zle

CIDE DICTIONARY

Muzzle, n. [OE. mosel, OF. musel, F. museau muzzle or snout, LL. musellus, fr. musus, morsus. See Muse, v. i., and cf. Morsel.].

•  The projecting mouth and nose of a quadruped, as of a horse; a snout.  [1913 Webster]
•  The mouth of a thing; the end for entrance or discharge; as, the muzzle of a gun.  [1913 Webster]
•  A fastening or covering (as a band or cage) for the mouth of an animal, to prevent eating or vicious biting.  [1913 Webster]

  "With golden muzzles all their mouths were bound"  [1913 Webster]

Muzzle sight. (Gun.) See Dispart, n., 2.

Muzzle, v. t. [F. museler.].

•  To bind the mouth of; to fasten the mouth of, so as to prevent biting or eating; hence, figuratively, to bind; to sheathe; to restrain from speech or action; as, the dictator muzzled all the newspapers.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

  "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn."  [1913 Webster]
•  To fondle with the closed mouth.  L'Estrange.  [1913 Webster]

Muzzle, v. i. 

 To bring the mouth or muzzle near.  [1913 Webster]
"The bear muzzles and smells to him."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Muzzle, n. & v.
--n.
1 the projecting part of an animal's face, including the nose and mouth.
2 a guard, usu. made of straps or wire, fitted over an animal's nose and mouth to stop it biting or feeding.
3 the open end of a firearm.
--v.tr.
1 put a muzzle on (an animal etc.).
2 impose silence upon.
3 Naut. take in (a sail).

Idiom

muzzle-loader a gun that is loaded through the muzzle. muzzle velocity the velocity with which a projectile leaves the muzzle of a gun.

Derivative

muzzler n.

Etymology

ME f. OF musel ult. f. med.L musum: cf. MUSE(2)

THESAURUS

Muzzle

Oregon boat, acoustic tile, antiknock, antlia, asphyxiate, baffler, bazoo, beak, beezer, bilbo, bill, bond, bonds, bottle up, bridle, bugle, camisole, censor, chains, chaps, choke, choke off, chops, clamp down on, collar, conk, cork, cork up, countenance, crack down on, crush, cuffs, cushion, damp, damp down, dampener, damper, deflate, dial, disarm, drown, dumbfound, embouchure, enchain, extinguish, face, features, fetter, gab, gag, gob, gyves, halter, hamper, hamstring, handcuff, handcuffs, hobble, hobbles, hog-tie, hold down, hopples, hush, hush-hush, hushcloth, irons, jaw, jaws, jowls, jump on, keep down, keep under, kill, kisser, knock out, leading strings, leash, lips, manacle, mandibles, map, maw, maxilla, mouth, muffle, muffler, mug, mush, mute, nares, neb, nib, nose, nostrils, nozzle, olfactory organ, oral cavity, paralyze, pecker, phiz, pillory, pour water on, premaxilla, proboscis, prostrate, puss, put down, put to silence, quash, quell, quench, quiet, quieten, quietener, reins, repress, restraint, restraints, rhinarium, rostrum, schnozzle, shackle, shush, shut down on, silence, silence cloth, silencer, sit down on, sit on, smash, smeller, smother, snoot, snout, soft pedal, soft-pedal, sordine, sordino, sound-absorbing material, soundproofing, soundproofing insulation, sourdine, squash, squelch, stanch, stifle, still, stocks, straightjacket, strait-waistcoat, straitjacket, strangle, stranglehold, strike dumb, stultify, subdue, suffocate, suppress, tether, throttle, trammel, trammels, trap, trunk, truss up, visage, yap, yoke

ROGET THESAURUS

Muzzle

Aphony

VB keep silence, speak low, speak softly, whisper, silence, render mute, render silent, muzzle, muffle, suppress, smother, gag, strike dumb, dumfounder, drown the voice, put to silence, stop one's mouth, cut one short, stick in the throat.

Restraint

VB restrain, check, put under restraint, lay under restraint, enthral, enthrall, inthral, inthrall, bethral, bethrall, restrict, debar, constrain, coerce, curb, control, hold back, hold from, hold in, hold in check, hold within bounds, keep back, keep from, keep in, keep in check, keep within bounds, hold in leash, hold in leading strings, withhold, keep under, repress, suppress, smother, pull in, rein in, hold, hold fast, keep a tight hand on, prohibit, inhibit, cohibit, enchain, fasten, fetter, shackle, entrammel, bridle, muzzle, hopple, gag, pinion, manacle, handcuff, tie one's hands, hobble, bind hand and foot, swathe, swaddle, pin down, tether, picket, tie down, tie up, secure, forge fetters, disable, hamstring (incapacitate), confine, shut up, shut in, clap up, lock up, box up, mew up, bottle up, cork up, seal up, button up, hem in, bolt in, wall in, rail in, impound, pen, coop, inclose, cage, incage, encage, close the door upon, cloister, imprison, immure, incarcerate, entomb, clap under hatches, lay under hatches, put in irons, put in a strait-waistcoat, throw into prison, cast into prison, put into bilboes, arrest, take up, take charge of, take into custody, take prisoner, take captive, make prisoner, make captive, captivate, lead captive, lead into captivity, send to prison, commit to prison, commit, give in charge, give in custody, subjugate.

Prison

N prison, prison house, jail, gaol, cage, coop, den, cell, stronghold, fortress, keep, donjon, dungeon, Bastille, oubliette, bridewell, house of correction, hulks, tollbooth, panopticon, penitentiary, guardroom, lockup, hold, round house, watch house, station house, sponging house, station, house of detention, black hole, pen, fold, pound, inclosure, isolation (exclusion), penal settlement, penal colony, bilboes, stocks, limbo, quod, calaboose, chauki, choky, thana, workhouse, Newgate, Fleet, Marshalsea, King's Bench, Queen's Bench, bond, bandage, irons, pinion, gyve, fetter, shackle, trammel, manacle, handcuff, straight jacket, strait jacket, strait-jacket, strait-waistcoat, hopples, vice, vise, yoke, collar, halter, harness, muzzle, gag, bit, brake, curb, snaffle, bridle, rein, reins, bearing rein, martingale, leading string, tether, picket, band, guy, chain, cord, cavesson, hackamore, headstall, jaquima, lines, ribbons, bolt, deadbolt, bar, lock, police lock, combination lock, padlock, rail, wall, stone wall, paling, palisade, fence, picket fence, barbed wire fence, Cyclone fence, stockade fence, chain-link fence, barrier, barricade, drag.

Impotence

VB be impotent, not have a leg to stand on, vouloir rompre l'anguille au genou, vouloir prendre la lune avec les dents, collapse, faint, swoon, fall into a swoon, drop, go by the board, go by the wayside, go up in smoke, end in smoke, render powerless, deprive of power, disable, disenable, disarm, incapacitate, disqualify, unfit, invalidate, deaden, cramp, tie the hands, double up, prostrate, paralyze, muzzle, cripple, becripple, maim, lame, hamstring, draw the teeth of, throttle, strangle, garrotte, garrote, ratten, silence, sprain, clip the wings of, put hors de combat, spike the guns, take the wind out of one's sails, scotch the snake, put a spoke in one's wheel, break the neck, break the back, unhinge, unfit, put out of gear, unman, unnerve, enervate, emasculate, castrate, geld, alter, neuter, sterilize, fix, shatter, exhaust, weaken.

Edge

N edge, verge, brink, brow, brim, margin, border, confine, skirt, rim, flange, side, mouth, jaws, chops, chaps, fauces, lip, muzzle, threshold, door, porch, portal, coast, shore, frame, fringe, flounce, frill, list, trimming, edging, skirting, hem, selvedge, welt, furbelow, valance, gimp, border, marginal, skirting, labial, labiated, marginated.

Opening

N opening, hole, foramen, puncture, perforation, fontanel, transforation, pinhole, keyhole, loophole, porthole, peephole, mousehole, pigeonhole, eye of a needle, eyelet, slot, opening, aperture, apertness, hiation, yawning, oscitancy, dehiscence, patefaction, pandiculation, chasm, embrasure, window, casement, abatjour, light, sky light, fan light, lattice, bay window, bow window, oriel, dormer, lantern, outlet, inlet, vent, vomitory, embouchure, orifice, mouth, sucker, muzzle, throat, gullet, weasand, wizen, nozzle, placket, portal, porch, gate, ostiary, postern, wicket, trapdoor, hatch, door, arcade, cellarway, driveway, gateway, doorway, hatchway, gangway, lich gate, way, path, thoroughfare, channel, passage, passageway, tube, pipe, water pipe, air pipe, vessel, tubule, canal, gut, fistula, adjutage, ajutage, ostium, smokestack, chimney, flue, tap, funnel, gully, tunnel, main, mine, pit, adit, shaft, gallery, alley, aisle, glade, vista, bore, caliber, pore, blind orifice, fulgurite, thundertube, porousness, porosity, sieve, cullender, colander, cribble, riddle, screen, honeycomb, apertion, perforation, piercing, terebration, empalement, pertusion, puncture, acupuncture, penetration, key, opener, master key, password, combination, passe- partout, open, perforated, perforate, wide open, ajar, unclosed, unstopped, oscitant, gaping, yawning, patent, tubular, cannular, fistulous, pervious, permeable, foraminous, vesicular, vasicular, porous, follicular, cribriform, honeycombed, infundibular, riddled, tubulous, tubulated, piped, tubate, opening, aperient, Int, open sesame!.

Silence

VB be silent, hold one's tongue, render silent, silence, still, hush, stifle, muffle, stop, muzzle, put to silence.