I. muz ‧ zle 1 /ˈmʌz ə l/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: musel , from muse 'mouth of an animal' , from Medieval Latin musus ]
1 . the nose and mouth of an animal, especially a dog or horse
2 . a cover that you put over a dog’s mouth to stop it from biting people
3 . the open end of a gun, where the bullets come out
II. muzzle 2 BrE AmE verb [transitive]
1 . to prevent someone from saying what they think in public SYN gag :
an attempt by the government to muzzle the country’s media
2 . to put a muzzle over a dog’s mouth so that it cannot bite people