muzzle

English

A cow'smuzzle(protruding part of animal's head)

A dog wearing amuzzle(sense 3) over itsmuzzle(sense 1)

gunmuzzle(sense 4)

bronze horsemuzzle(sense 6)

Etymology

From earliermuzle,musle,mousle,mussel,mozell,fromMiddle Englishmosel,fromOld Frenchmusel,museau,muzeau(modernFrenchmuseau), fromLate Latinmūsus(“snout”),probably expressive of the shape of protruded lips and/or influenced byLatinmūgīre(“to moo, bellow”).Doubletofmuseau.Displaced nativeMiddle EnglishkevelfromOld Englishcæfl(“gag, bit, muzzle”),see Englishcavel.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/ˈmʌzəl/

  • Audio(Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes:-ʌzəl

Noun

muzzle(pluralmuzzles)

1. The protruding part of an animal's head which includes thenose,mouthandjaws.

   Synonym:snout

   • 1915June,T[homas] S[tearns] Eliot,“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”,inPrufrock and Other Observations,London:The Egoist[…],published1917,→OCLC,page10:

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

2. (slang,derogatory,by extension)A person's mouth.
4. A device used to prevent an animal frombitingoreating,which is worn on itssnout.
6. (firearms)Themouthor theendfor entrance or discharge of agun,pistoletc., that the bullet emerges from.

   Coordinate term:breech

7. (chieflyScotland)A piece of the forwardendof theplow-beamby which the traces are attached.

   Synonym:bridle

8. (obsolete,historical)Anopenworkcovering for the nose, used for the defense of the horse, and forming part of thebardsin the 15th and 16th centuries.

Derived terms

• muzzle-bag
• muzzle blast
• muzzle booster
• muzzle brake
• muzzle compensator
• muzzle energy
• muzzle flash
• muzzle-loader
• muzzleloader
• muzzle-loading
• muzzleloading
• muzzle sweep
• muzzle velocity

Translations

part of animal's head

• Arabic:خَطْمm(ḵaṭm)
• Armenian:մռութ(hy)(mṙutʻ),դունչ(hy)(dunčʻ),կնճիթ(hy)(knčitʻ)(pigs and boars)
• Belarusian:мо́рдаf(mórda)
• Bulgarian:муцуна(bg)f(mucuna)
• Catalan:musell(ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin:Miệng lưỡi(zh)(kǒuwěn)

• Czech:čenich(cs)m,čumák(cs)m
• Danish:snudec
• Dutch:snuit(nl)morf
• Esperanto:muzelo
• Estonian:koon
• Finnish:kuono(fi),turpa(fi)
• French:museau(fr)m
• German:Schnauze(de)f(dogs),Nüster(de)f(horses)
• Greek:ρύγχος(el)n(rýnchos)

  Ancient:ῥύγχοςn(rhúnkhos)

• Hungarian:pofa(hu),pofázmány(hu)
• Icelandic:trýnin,múli(is)m,snoppaf,granir(is)fpl
• Ido:muzelo(io),chanfreno(io)
• Ingrian:morda
• Italian:muso(it)m
• Japanese:Mũi mặt(はなづら, hanazura)
• Latin:rostrum(la)n
• Lithuanian:snukism
• Low German:Snuut(nds)f
• Macedonian:муцкаf(mucka),рилкаf(rilka)
• Malay:muncung
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål:snutemorf

  Nynorsk:snutem

• Persian:پوزه(phát)(puze)
• Polish:pysk(pl)m,ryj(pl)m,morda(pl)f
• Portuguese:focinho(pt)m
• Romanian:bot(ro)n
• Russian:мо́рда(ru)f(mórda),ры́ло(ru)n(rýlo)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic:њу̏шкаf,гу̏бицаf

  Roman:njȕška(sh)f,gȕbica(sh)f

• Spanish:hocico(es)m
• Swedish:nos(sv)c,mule(sv)c
• Ukrainian:мо́рдаf(mórda)
• Venetan:mus(vec)m,muxom
• Vietnamese:mõm(vi)
• Walloon:muzea(wa)m
• Yiddish:פּיסקm(pisk)

device to stop an animal from biting

• Arabic:

  Moroccan Arabic:كمّامةf(kemmama)

• Belarusian:намо́рднікm(namórdnik)
• Bulgarian:намо́рдник(bg)m(namórdnik)
• Catalan:morrió(ca)m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin:Khẩu lạc／Khẩu lạc(zh)(kǒuluò)

• Czech:náhubek(cs)m
• Dutch:muilband(nl),muilkorf(nl)
• Esperanto:buŝumo(eo)
• Estonian:suukorv
• Finnish:kuonokoppa(fi)
• French:muselière(fr)f
• Galician:vetillo(gl)m,bocal(gl)m,bozom
• Georgian:სადრუნჩე(sadrunče)
• German:Maulkorb(de)m
• Greek:φίμωτρο(el)n(fímotro)

  Ancient:φιμόςm(phimós),κημόςm(kēmós)

• Hebrew:מַחְסוֹם(he)m(maẖsóm),זְמָם(he)m(zmám)
• Hungarian:szájkosár(hu)
• Icelandic:múll(is)m,bitmúlim,mýlin,munnkarfaf
• Ido:muzeloligilo(io)
• Irish:béalógf,musalm,mantógf
• Italian:museruola(it)f,mordacchia(it)f
• Japanese:Khẩu luân(ja)(くちわ, kuchiwa)
• Khakas:пурғах(purğax)
• Lithuanian:apynasrism,antsnukism
• Macedonian:нарилникm(narilnik)
• Maori:mōkā,mokonaha,pōnīnī
• Persian:پوزهبند(phát)(puze-band)
• Polish:kaganiec(pl)m
• Portuguese:focinheira(pt)f,açaime(pt),açaimo(pt)
• Russian:намо́рдник(ru)m(namórdnik)
• Scottish Gaelic:glas-ghuibf
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic:бр̏њицаf

  Roman:bȑnjica(sh)f

• Sicilian:mussili(scn)m,vuccagghium
• Slovak:náhubokm
• Spanish:bozal(es)m
• Swedish:munkorg(sv)
• Turkish:burunsalık(tr),burunsak(tr),burunluk(tr),ağızlık(tr)
• Ukrainian:намо́рдникm(namórdnyk)
• Vietnamese:rọ mõm(vi)
• Walloon:muzlire(wa)f
• Welsh:mwselm,penwarm

open end of a gun

• Albanian:please add this translation if you can
• Armenian:please add this translation if you can
• Azerbaijani:ağız(az)
• Bulgarian:дуло(bg)n(dulo)
• Catalan:boca(ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin:Họng súng／Họng súng(zh)(qiāngkǒu)

• Czech:ústí(cs)n
• Esperanto:please add this translation if you can
• Estonian:please add this translation if you can
• Finnish:suu(fi)
• Georgian:please add this translation if you can
• German:Mündung(de)f
• Hebrew:לֹעַ(he)m(lo'a)
• Hungarian:torkolat(hu)
• Icelandic:byssukjafturm
• Ido:boko(io)
• Irish:béal(ga)m
• Italian:avancarica(it)f
• Japanese:Súng khẩu(ja)(じゅうこう, jūkō)
• Latvian:please add this translation if you can
• Lithuanian:please add this translation if you can
• Maori:māngai,ngutu
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål:munningmorf

  Nynorsk:munningmorf

• Polish:wylot(pl)m
• Portuguese:cano(pt)m
• Romanian:gură(ro)f
• Russian:ду́ло(ru)n(dúlo),жерло́(ru)n(žerló)(of a cannon)
• Slovak:ústien
• Spanish:boca(es)f
• Swedish:mynning(sv)c
• Turkish:please add this translation if you can
• Ukrainian:please add this translation if you can

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions atWiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Telugu:^{(pleaseverify)}చిక్కము(te)(cikkamu)

Verb

muzzle(third-person singular simple presentmuzzles,present participlemuzzling,simple past and past participlemuzzled)

1. (transitive)Tobindorconfinean animal's mouth by putting amuzzle,as to prevent it from eating or biting.

   Synonym:bemuzzle

   • 1611,The Holy Bible,[…](King James Version), London:[…]Robert Barker,[…],→OCLC,Deuteronomy25:4:

     Thou shalt notmuzzlethe ox when he treadeth out the corn.

2. (transitive,figuratively)Torestrain(from speaking, expressing opinion or acting); togag;tosilence;tocensor.

   Those who want tomuzzleeveryone else are likely nothing less than pseudovirtuous.

   • 1919,Boris Sidis,The Source and Aim of Human Progress:

     Man is brow-beaten, leashed,muzzled,masked, and lashed by boards and councils, by leagues and societies, by church and state.

3. (transitive,obsolete)Toveil,mask,muffle.
4. (transitive,obsolete)Tofondlewith the closed mouth; tonuzzle.
   • 1692,Roger L’Estrange,“(please specify the fable number.)(please specify the name of the fable.)”,inFables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists:[…],London:[…]R[ichard]Sare,[…],→OCLC:

     Venus her self would sitMuzzlingand Gazing them in the Eyes

   • 1857,Thomas Hughes,Tom Brown's School Days:

     And now, while they are climbing the pole in another part of the field, andmuzzlingin a flour-tub in another, the old farmer[…]announces to all whom it may concern that a half-sovereign in money will be forthcoming to the old gamester who breaks most heads;[…]

5. (intransitive)Tobringthemuzzleormouthnear.
   • 1692,Roger L’Estrange,“(please specify the fable number.)(please specify the name of the fable.)”,inFables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists:[…],London:[…]R[ichard]Sare,[…],→OCLC:

     The Bear comes directly up to him,Muzzlesand Smells to him.

Derived terms

• muzzler

Translations

to apply a muzzle

• Bulgarian:слагам намордник(slagam namordnik)
• Dutch:muilkorven(nl)
• Esperanto:buŝumi
• Finnish:laittaakuonokoppa
• French:museler(fr)
• German:einenMaulkorbanlegen(with the dative of the animal being muzzled)
• Gothic:𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌼𐌿𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽(faurmūljan)
• Greek:

  Ancient:φιμόω(phimóō)

• Icelandic:mýla,múlbinda,setja munnkörfu á(dýr(is))
• Ido:muzeloligar(io)
• Italian:mettere la museruola
• Maori:whakamōkā,mokonaha,pōnīnī
• Norwegian:sette(no)munnkurvpå(no)
• Polish:nakładać kaganiecimpf,nałożyć kaganiecpf
• Portuguese:amordaçar(pt)
• Spanish:amordazar(es)

to restrain from speaking or acting

• Dutch:muilkorven(nl)
• Esperanto:silentigi
• Finnish:(speaking)tukkia(fi),(acting)estää(fi)
• French:museler(fr)
• German:jemandem einen Maulkorb verpassen(de)
• Icelandic:þagga niður í,múlbinda
• Ido:bokoligar,bokostopar(io)
• Italian:imbavagliare(it),mettere a tacere
• Macedonian:затнува(zatnuva)
• Norwegian:gi(no),få(no)munnkurv
• Polish:nakładać kaganiecimpf,nałożyć kaganiecpf
• Portuguese:amordaçar(pt)
• Spanish:(speaking)amordazar(es),censurar(es),(acting)atar(es),limitar(es)
• Swedish:sätta munkavle på,tysta ner(sv)

References

• “muzzle”,inThe Century Dictionary[…],New York, N.Y.:The Century Co.,1911,→OCLC.
• “muzzle”,inOED Online⁠,Oxford:Oxford University Press,launched 2000.