/ ˈmʌzl; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
the nose and mouth of an animal, especially a dog or a horse
—compare snout
2.
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 people
3.
the open end of a gun, where the bullets come out
■ verb [ vn ]
1.
[ usually passive ] to put a muzzle over a dog's head to prevent it from biting people
2.
to prevent sb from expressing their opinions in public as they want to
SYN gag :
They accused the government of muzzling the press.
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Old French musel , diminutive of medieval Latin musum , of unknown ultimate origin.