muzzle

noun

/ˈmʌzl/

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the nose and mouth of an animal, especially a dog or a horse
- She stood by the pony, stroking its muzzle.
compare snoutTopics Animalsc2
a device made of leather or plastic that you put over the nose and mouth of an animal, especially a dog, to prevent it from biting peopleTopics Animalsc2
the open end of a gun, where the bullets come out
- Bright muzzle flashes were visible even through the fog.

Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French musel, diminutive of medieval Latin musum, of unknown ultimate origin.

verb

/ˈmʌzl/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they muzzle	/ˈmʌzl/ /ˈmʌzl/
he / she / it muzzles	/ˈmʌzlz/ /ˈmʌzlz/
past simple muzzled	/ˈmʌzld/ /ˈmʌzld/
past participle muzzled	/ˈmʌzld/ /ˈmʌzld/
-ing form muzzling	/ˈmʌzlɪŋ/ /ˈmʌzlɪŋ/

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[usually passive] to put a muzzle over the head of an animal, especially a dog, to prevent it from biting people
- be muzzled Dogs must be kept muzzled.
muzzle somebody/something to prevent somebody from expressing their opinions in public as they want to synonym gag
- They accused the government of muzzling the press.
Topics Opinion and argumentc2

Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French musel, diminutive of medieval Latin musum, of unknown ultimate origin.