| 释义 |
muf·fle
I. \ˈməfəl\ transitive verb
(muffled ; muffled ; muffling \-f(ə)liŋ\ ; muffles)
Etymology: Middle English muflen, perhaps from (assumed) Middle French moufler to envelop in mittens, from Middle French moufle mitten
1. : to wrap up so as to conceal or protect : cover over : envelop
< muffling his neck with a knitted scarf — Agatha Christie >
< the cloud … muffled the plane — Ira Wolfert >
< the grey fog which muffled the sky — Ellen Glasgow >
< still drowsy, he muffled his face and went to sleep — C.G.D.Roberts >
2.
a. obsolete : to prevent from seeing : blindfold
< love, whose view is muffled still, should without eyes see pathways to his will — Shakespeare >
b. : to prevent from speaking : silence
< let's muffle all the gossip — Louis Bromfield >
3.
a. : to wrap or pad with something to dull the sound of
< the rowlocks were muffled in chamois — A.B.Mayse >
b. : to deaden the sound of
< muffle the noises of the street — Virginia Woolf >
< the sands … have muffled the tread of countless armies — Rex Keating >
4. : to keep down : suppress
< the abrupt, bony, closemouthed prose … muffles his social comment — John Woodburn >
< made an admirable effort to muffle his feelings — Time >
II. noun
(-s)
1.
a. archaic : something that covers the neck or face : muffler
b. : something resembling a muffle
< it had a soothing … influence, that muffle of snow — Harper's >
2. [French moufle, literally, mitten, from Middle French] : a compartment or oven used in a furnace in firing wares (as those decorated over the glaze) that must be protected from flame — see muffle furnace
3. : something that deadens sound; also : the sound deadened
< the muffle of distant thunder >
< muffle of marching feet >
4. [French moufle mitten, from Middle French] archaic : boxing glove
< sometimes we must box without a muffle — Lord Byron >
5. [French, literally, mitten, from Middle French] : a pulley block with several sheaves
III. noun
(-s)
Etymology: French mufle, from Middle French, alteration (probably influenced by Middle French museau muzzle, from Old French musel) of moufle fat coarse face, from German muffel short snout, sulky person, of imitative origin — more at muzzle
: the rhinarium of mammals in which it is heavy and flabby |