COBUILD frequency band
muzzle
Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present tense muzzles , present participle muzzling , past tense, past participle muzzled
1.countable noun
2.countable noun
3.verb
4.verb
If you say that someone is muzzled, you are complaining that they are prevented from expressing their views freely.
[disapproval]
He complained of being muzzled by the chairman. [be VERB-ed]
She was opposed to new laws to muzzle the press. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: suppress, silence, curb, restrain More Synonyms of muzzle
5.countable noun
The muzzle of a gun is the end where the bullets come out when it is fired.
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Image of
muzzle
© Nikolai Tsvetkov, Shutterstock
You may also like
COBUILD frequency band
muzzle in British English
noun
1.
the projecting part of the face, usually the jaws and nose, of animals such as the dog and horse
2.
a guard or strap fitted over an animal's nose and jaws to prevent it biting or eating
3.
the front end of a gun barrel
verb (transitive)
4.
to prevent from being heard or noticed
to muzzle the press
5.
to put a muzzle on (an animal)
6.
to take in (a sail)
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
muzzler (ˈmuzzler)
noun
Word origin
C15 mosel, from Old French musel, diminutive of muse snout, from Medieval Latin mūsus, of unknown origin
COBUILD frequency band
muzzle in American English
noun
1.
the projecting part of the head of a dog, horse, etc., including the mouth, nose, and jaws; snout
2.
a device, as of straps, fastened over the mouth of an animal to prevent its biting or eating
3.
anything that prevents free speech or discussion
4.
the front end of the barrel of a firearm
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈmuzzled or ˈmuzzling
5.
to put a muzzle on (an animal)
6.
to prevent from talking or expressing an opinion; gag
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
muzzler (ˈmuzzler)
noun
Word origin
ME mosel < OFr musel, snout, muzzle, dim. of mus < ML musum < ?
COBUILD frequency band
muzzle in American English
(ˈmʌzəl) (verb -zled, -zling)
noun
1.
the mouth, or end for discharge, of the barrel of a gun, pistol, etc
2.
the projecting part of the head of an animal, including jaws, mouth, and nose
3.
a device, usually an arrangement of straps or wires, placed over an animal's mouth to prevent the animal from biting, eating, etc
transitive verb
4.
to put a muzzle on (an animal or its mouth) so as to prevent biting, eating, etc
5.
to restrain from speech, the expression of opinion, etc
The censors muzzled the press
6.Nautical
to attach the cable to the stock of (an anchor) by means of a light line to permit the anchor to be pulled loose readily
SYNONYMS 5. silence, quiet, still, supress.
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019 by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[1350–1400; ME musel ‹ MF ‹ ML mūsellum, dim. of mūsum snout ‹ ?]
Examples of 'muzzle' in a sentence
muzzle
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content that does not reflect the opinions or policies of Collins, or its parent company HarperCollins.
We welcome feedback: report an example sentence to the Collins team. Read more…
The cabinet muzzle is off. The Guardian (2020) The Guardian (2020) The Guardian (2020) The Guardian (2015) The Guardian (2016) The Sun (2016) Times, Sunday Times (2011) Times, Sunday Times (2011) The Sun (2008) Aldiss, Brian Somewhere East of Life (1994)
Word lists with
muzzle
Horse parts
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
Which horse part am I?
the projecting part of the face, usually the jaws and nose, of animals such as the dog and horse
Which horse part am I?
a bone in the legs of horses and other hoofed animals consisting of greatly elongated fused metatarsals or metacarpals
Which horse part am I?
the nictitating membrane of a horse or other domestic animal
Which horse part am I?
a horse of a yellow-brown or golden-brown colour
Which horse part am I?
a tough elastic horny material in the centre of the sole of a horse's foot
Your score:
