I. ˈstäpəl noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English stoppell, from stoppen to stop + -ell (suffix denoting an instrument)
: something that closes an aperture : stopper: as
a.
(1) : a plug for closing a finger hole in a flute or flageolet to change the scale tone
(2) : the plug in the end of a stopped organ pipe
b. : earplug 2
a stopple must be fitted into the ear canal so that noise does not leak around the edges — National Safety News
II. transitive verb
( stoppled ; stoppled ; stoppling -p(ə)liŋ ; stopples )
: to close the mouth of with or as if with a stopple : stopper