muzzle

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   fit with a muzzle

   Muzzle the dog to prevent it from biting strangers.

2. 2
   noun

   The protruding part of an animal's head which includes the nose, mouth and jaws.

   The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes, / The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes, […].

3. 3
   verb

   To bind or confine an animal's mouth by putting a muzzle, as to prevent it from eating or biting.

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

4. 4
   verb

   To restrain (from speaking, expressing opinion or acting); to gag; to silence; to censor.

   Those who want to muzzle everyone else are likely nothing less than pseudovirtuous.

From earlier muzle, musle, mousle, mussel, mozell, from Middle English mosel, from Old French musel, museau, muzeau (modern French museau), from Late Latin mūsus (“snout”), probably expressive of the shape of protruded lips and/or influenced by Latin mūgīre (“to moo, bellow”). Doublet of museau. Displaced native Middle English kevel from Old English cæfl (“gag, bit, muzzle”), see English cavel.

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