▪ I. muzzle, n.1
(ˈmʌz(ə)l)
Forms: 4–6 mosel, 5 mosle, mosol, -ul, -yl, (mor-, murselle), 5–6 mosell, moosle, Sc. mussal, 5–7 mussel, 6 mo(u)ssell, mousil, moozle, moozzell, musell, -yll, (mowseale), mezell (?), Sc. misel(l, -al(l, musal(l, 4–7 mozell, 6–7 mousel(l, moosel(l, mussell, musle, muzzell, 6–8 muzle, 7 muzel, Sc. myssel(l, 7–8 muzzel, 6– muzzle.
[a. OF. musel, muzel, mousel, muisel (12–13th c.), mod.F. museau:—med.L. mūsellum, dim. of med.L. mūsus (8th c. in Du Cange) or mūsum (whence Pr. mus, muus, OSp. mus, It. muso), of uncertain origin, but perh. connected with F. muser (see muse v.1, note) and its cognates. (OF. had muse, mouse fem. = muzzle.)
Diez and others, connecting OF. musel with Pr. mursel, morsel (cf. the occas. 15th c. forms in Eng., also Breton morzeel beside muzel, muzzle), have assumed as the common etymon a pop. L. *morsellus, dim. of morsus bite (cf. late L. jūsum from L. deorsum), but this involves serious difficulties.]
I. 1. The projecting part of the head of an animal which includes the nose and mouth.
| c 1410 Master of Game (MS. Digby 182) xxxi, Þe other beloweth lowe..stoupynge with þe heede and þe musell towarde þe erthe. c 1430 Pilgr. Lyf Manhode iii. xlviii. (1869) 161 It is figured as a swyn that in þe eerthe hath his morselle [v.r. murselle]. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xxvi. 561 The horse..smote his mussell in to the erth. 1533 More Debell. Salem Wks. 993/1 A mastyffe hath..a great mosel and a thycke boystous body. 1587 L. Mascall Govt. Cattle, Sheep (1596) 228 There is also another scabbinesse which chanceth somtimes on the mousels of sheepe. 1649 Ogilby Virg. Georg. iii. (1684) 104 Some from the Dams hinder the tender Kid, And with hard Muzzles from the Pap forbid. 1685 Lond. Gaz. No. 2062. 2/2 A dark bay Gelding..with a brown Musle. 1797 Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3) IX. 501/1 The head of a chamæleon is not unlike that of a fish... The muzzle is blunt. 1851 Mayne Reid Scalp Hunt. iii, A dark-brown stallion with black legs, and muzzle like the withered fern. 1877 J. A. Allen Amer. Bison 445 An adult measures about nine feet from the muzzle to the insertion of the tail. |
b. transf. Contemptuously or jocularly applied to the part of the human face including the nose and chin.
| 1426 Lydg. DeGuil. Pilgr. 22753 Hyt semyth..By lyfftynge vp off thy mosel, That thow pleyest the ape wel. a 1586 Sidney Arcadia ii. (1622) 107 But euer and anon turning her muzzell towards mee, shee threw such a prospect vpon me, as might well haue giuen a surfet to any weake louers stomacke. a 1700 Dryden tr. Ovid's Art of Love i. 582 Of a black muzzle, and long beard, beware. 1829 Scott Jrnl. 25 Mar., The dry old rogue twisting his muzzle into an infernal grin. 1850 Thackeray Pendennis lxi, Your black muzzle, old George, is the only face I should see. |
c. slang. (See
quot.)
| a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Muzzle, a Beard (usually) long and nasty. |
d. = muffle n.2 1.
| 1870 Dubois Cosmop. Cookery 188 Muzzle (mufle) of beef with curry. |
2. That end of a fire-arm from which the shot is discharged;
spec. in a cannon, the part extending from the astragal to the extreme end mouldings.
| 1566 Inv. R. Wardr. (1815) 170 Item, sex missellis of irne. 1624 Capt. Smith Virginia v. 179 The powder by carelesnesse was tumbled down vnder the mussels of the two peeces. 1633 T. Stafford Pac. Hib. i. ix. (1821) 116 That the peece..should be abased at the tayle, and elevated at the musle. 1698 Fryer Acc. E. India & P. 37 Over the Gates five Guns run out their Muzzels. 1711 Swift Jrnl. to Stella 9 May, They fought at sword and pistol this morning in Tuttle Fields, their pistols so near that the muzzles touched. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. xiii. III. 361 The soldiers were still fumbling with the muzzles of their guns and the handles of their bayonets. 1892 Greener Breech-Loader 107 The gun..should not be left muzzle-up or muzzle-down against a wall, a gate, or a tree. |
b. charged (crammed) to the muzzle: loaded, filled, or ‘stuffed’
with.
| 1807–8 W. Irving Salmag. (1811) II. 63 Every body seems charged to the muzzle with gun-powder;—every eye flashes fire-works and torpedoes. 1859 G. Meredith R. Feverel vi, So instead of beating about and setting the boy on the alert at all points, crammed to the muzzle with lies, he just said [etc.]. 1875 M. Pattison Casaubon 69 Casaubon had, in this way, solicited Leunclavius in a letter charged to the muzzle with gratifying compliments. |
† 3. The nozzle of a pair of bellows.
Obs.| 1726 Swift Gulliver iii. v, He had a large Pair of Bellows, with a long slender Muzzle of Ivory. |
4. Agric. = bridle n. 5 d.
| 1765 A. Dickson Treat. Agric. (ed. 2) 200 There is another thing supposed also to belong to the plough, and that is the bridle or muzzle. 1840 J. Buel Farmer's Comp. 142 By setting the muzzle higher up in the index of the beam. |
5. The mouth at the base of a cooking-place.
| 1874 Bedford Sailor's Pocket Bk. vii. 206 They [sc. cooking places] should be in rear of..the arms; the simplest form is a trench dug in a line with the wind..; depth, about a foot at the muzzle decreasing to 3 inches at the chimney. |
II. 6. A contrivance, usually consisting of an arrangement of straps or wires, put over an animal's mouth to prevent it from biting, eating, or rooting.
| c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1293 White Alauntz..folwed hym, with mosel faste ybounde. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 344/2 Moosle, or mosul for a nette [= neat], oristrigium. 1523 MS. Acc. St. John's Hosp., Canterb., For a mezell for a calf. 1556 Withals Dict. (1568) 15 b/1 A moosle that letteth dogges to bite. 1596 Spenser F.Q. vi. xii. 34 He tooke a muzzel strong Of surest yron, made with many a lincke. 1635 Markham Faithf. Farrier 78 The Horse having stood all night on the Mussell or at the empty Racke. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 611 Some, when the Kids their Dams too deeply drain, With Gags and Muzzles their soft Mouths restrain. 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) III. 361 It often happens..that the ferret disengages itself of its muzzel, and then it is most commonly lost, unless it be dug out. 1856 ‘Stonehenge’ Brit. Sports i. iii. v. §457 Many young dogs are such savage fighters or biters, as to require the muzzle always on at exercise. Ibid. ii. i. vi. §72 Some very gross feeders requiring the muzzle on immediately after their last feed of corn over night. |
| fig. 1597 Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, iv. v. 132 For the Fift Harry, from curb'd License pluckes The muzzle of Restraint. 1644 [H. Parker] Jus Pop. 60 So to inure Rome to the snaffle, and break the Senate to the musle. 1802 Lady Jerningham in J. Lett. (1896) I. 210 Doctor Jenner is..to have a premium..for having Discovered so useful a muzzle for..the small Pox. 1901 Scotsman 5 Mar. 8/3 The self-imposed muzzle which he has worn for the last five years no longer prevents him from taking part in the military debates. |
b. An ornamental piece of armour covering a horse's nose.
| 1860 J. Hewitt Anc. Armour III. 667 Steel muzzles elaborately wrought in open-work. 1870 A. Demmin Weapons of War 350 The muzzle, which was placed over the nostrils..could be of no use in war. |
c. The face-piece of an inhaler.
| 1899 Allbutt's Syst. Med. VI. 55 The naso-oral muzzle must never be used. |
† 7. Sc. A veil, face-cloth. (
Cf. muzzle v.
1 3 b.)
Obs.| 1603 Philotus xxvii, Ȝour Veluote hat, ȝour Hude of Stait, Ȝour Myssell quhen ȝe gang to gait. 1605 Burgh Rec. Glasgow (1876) I. 237 That thai gang vpone the calsay syd with thair mussellis on thair faice, and clopperis. |
III. 8. attrib. and
Comb., as (sense 1)
muzzle-bone, (sense 2)
muzzle-astragal,
muzzle-end,
muzzle moulding,
muzzle rope,
muzzle stopper;
muzzle chops, nickname for a man with prominent nose and mouth;
muzzle-lashings (see
quot.);
muzzle-loader, a gun that is loaded at the muzzle (
opp. to
breech-loader); so
muzzle-loading ppl. a.;
muzzle-peg, a contrivance to keep the nose of a dog raised while hunting game; hence
muzzle-pegged a.;
muzzle-ring, the moulding of greatest circumference encircling the muzzle of a gun;
muzzle-sight, a sight placed at or near the muzzle of a gun;
† muzzle-scab, a disease in sheep;
muzzle velocity, the velocity at which a projectile leaves the piece from which it is fired.
| 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1780) I 3 b, The *muzzle-astragal and fillets. |
| 1845 Encycl. Metrop. VII. 366/2 In the Ornithorhynque the *Muzzle-bones are flat. |
| 1611 Middleton & Dekker Roaring Girl iii. iii, This old *muzzle chops should be he, By the fellowes discription. |
| 1875 Ure's Dict. Arts II. 376 The coil..is struck down vertically with its *muzzle end upon the anvil. 1889 Kipling Barrack-room Ballads, East & West 69 The Colonel's son a pistol drew and held it muzzle-end. |
| 1815 Burney Falconer's Dict. Marine 290/2 *Muzzle-lashings, are two and a half inch ropes, about four or five fathoms in length, used to lash the muzzles of guns, so as to confine them to the upper part of the ports. |
| 1858 Greener Gunnery 331 There is no possibility of a breech-loader ever shooting equal to a well-constructed *muzzle loader. |
| Ibid. 333 The celebrated trial of Breech versus *Muzzle-loading fire-arms, which took place in April last. |
| 1721 Bailey, *Muzzle mouldings (of a Gun) is the Ornament round the Muzzle. |
| 1819 T. B. Johnson Shooter's Comp. 85 Your young dog..will perhaps take the wind of himself, and hunt with his nose elevated. Should this not be the case, recourse must be had to the *muzzle peg. |
| Ibid. 27 The Russian Pointer..runs..his nose close to the ground (if not *muzzle-pegged). |
| 1626 Capt. Smith Accid. Yng. Seamen 32 *Mousell rings at her mouth. 1692 Capt. Smith's Seaman's Gram. ii. vi. 94 The Muzzle Ring, or Cornice. 1858 Greener Gunnery 99 Six outside staves of great dimensions, which, at the muzzle ring, pass through openings in the muzzle ring. |
| 1879 Man. Artill. Exerc. vii. vii. 508 A clove hitch is made with the centre of the *muzzle rope round the fid. |
| 1726 Dict. Rust. (ed. 3), *Mousel-scab, a Distemper that sometimes attends Sheep and young Teggs. |
| c 1860 H. Stuart Seaman's Catech. 11 On the barrel is the..*muzzle sight. |
| 1844 Regul. & Ord. Army 96 note, *Muzzle-Stoppers. |
| 1879 Man. Artill. Exerc. 8 The longer the projectile, the less perfectly it is centred, the lower its *muzzle velocity [etc.]. |
▪ II. muzzle, n.2 (
ˈmʌz(ə)l)
[ad. G. Mosel, Du. Moezel = Moselle, where cf. the 18th c. form mossel.] Moselle wine.
| 1853 Jerdan Autobiog. IV. xiii. 243 We sat down to excellent rotten cabbage, but washed down with sensible muzzle and schnaps. Ibid. 244 The bumpers of muzzle. |
▪ III. † ˈmuzzle, a. Obs. Also 7
mussel.
= muzzled ppl. a.
2| 1691 Lond. Gaz. No. 2652/4 A little Man,..having a Mussel Beard. 1813 Gen. P. Thompson Let. 26 Jan. (MS.), A brown muzzle horse; which upon examination I found by no means to intend a horse with a brown muzzle, but a horse that reflects brown-muzzle rays... A brown-muzzle horse therefore is a horse of a brinded or mingled brown. |
▪ IV. ˈmuzzle, v.1 Forms: see the
n. [f. muzzle n.1 Cf. F. museler.] 1. a. intr. To thrust out the muzzle or nose; to feel, smell, or root about with the muzzle. (
Cf. nuzzle.)
| c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xix. 426 They felle where thei wente, musselinge in the grounde as hogges. 15.. Johan the Euangelyst 499 And yf the grounde be slypper and slydynge In faythe I fall downe moselynge. 1581 J. Bell Haddon's Answ. Osor. 80 Lyke a most filthy hogge mooselyng in the durtie swinesty of Epicure. 1598 R. Barckley Felic. Man iv. 330 The Beare came..muzling about his mouth and nose, finding that he breathed not [etc.]. 1607 Hieron Wks. I. 156 If we euer be like swine, muzling in the ground. 1679 M. Rusden Further Disc. Bees ix. 91, I and others have found that an hogg musling in an Hive hath been the best way of dressing it. 1844 Stephens Bk. Farm II. 701 Every pig takes its own place right earnestly, and muzzles away at the udder. |
† b. fig. To ‘growl’ or murmur
at.
| 1581 J. Bell Haddon's Answ. Osor. ii. 68 Our Syr Ierome sets vp his bristles & although he know my meaning, yet mooseleth at the wordes. |
2. a. trans. To bring the muzzle or snout close to.
| a 1600 Constancy of True Love xi. in J. P. Collier Roxb. Ball. (1847) 94 The lyon..Ran where I left my garment first;..And having musled thus the same [etc.]. 1692 R. L'Estrange Fables ccxxvii. 199 The Bear comes directly up to Him, Muzzles, and Smells to him. |
† b. To root about or amongst.
Obs.| 1617 Presentm. in Essex Rev. XV. 48 His church pale, broken down, lett in hogges and other cattle, which mussells and spoyles the churchyard. 1733 Tull Horse-hoeing Husb. xx. 288 Had there been Oaks in the Place, I should rather have thought that Tillage perform'd by a Race of the first Teachers of it, in muzzling Acorns than by Plows. |
† c. ‘To fondle with the mouth close. A low word’ (J.).
Cf. mousle v.
Obs.| 1692 R. L'Estrange Fables ccxix. 192 The Nurse..was Then Muzzling and Cokesing of it. 1697 Vanbrugh Relapse i. (1708) 12 Ah, you young hot lusty Thief, let me muzzle you—[Kissing]. 1708 S. Centlivre Busie Body iii. 34, I will, Chargee, so muzle, and tuzle, and hug thee. |
3. a. To put a muzzle on (an animal or its mouth); to prevent by means of a muzzle from biting, etc.
| c 1470 in Som. & Devon N. & Q. (1905) IX. 303 The saide Dogge beying owte of chayne was mosolyd. 1519 Surtees Misc. (1888) 34 They shall mosell their dogges. 1526 Tindale 1 Cor. ix. 9 Thou shalt not mosell the mouth of the oxe. 1530 Palsgr. 642/2, I wolde advyse you musyll your dogge, for he is called peryllous. 1565 Cooper Thesaurus, Fiscella, a thing made with twigges and strynges to moosell beastes that thei mought not bite yong springes. 1597 Drayton Heroic. Ep. 49 b, Or who will muzzell that vnruly Beare? 1627 Hakewill Apol. ii. v. §4 He that made a dry path through the red sea, musled the mouthes of the Lyons. 1753 Scots Mag. Feb. 100/1 All the dogs..to be..muzzled. 1820 Scott Abbot xix, Large stag-hounds, or wolf-dogs..carefully muzzled to prevent accidents to passengers. 1856 Kane Arct. Expl. I. xxix. 390 Completely muzzled with a line fastened by a running knot between her jaws and the back of her head. 1873 G. C. Davies Mount. & Mere xxii. 194 It is best to muzzle ferrets. |
b. fig.| 1611 Shakes. Wint. T. i. ii. 156 My dagger muzzel'd, Least it should bite it's Master. 1613 ― Hen. VIII, i. i. 121 This Butchers Curre is venom'd-mouth'd, and I Haue not the power to muzzle him. 1622 Bp. Hall Contempl., N.T. iii. v, It is thine onely mercy, O God, that hath chained and muzled up this band-dog. 1631 R. Bolton Comf. Affl. Consc. i. (1635) 6 He is everlastingly musled by an Almighty arme, from ever doing them any deadly hurt. 1700 Dryden Prol. to Pilgrim 2 How wretched is the fate of those who write! Brought muzzled to the stage, for fear they bite. 1884 Pae Eustace 87, I have the power not only to muzzle him, but draw his teeth. |
c. transf. To close (a fishing-net).
| 1876 F. Francis Bk. Angling (ed. 4) xii. 438 The Esk..is a fine river, and would be finer if the Solway stake nets were only muzzled. |
† 4. transf. To muffle;
Sc. to veil, mask (the face).
Obs.| 1426 Lydg. De Guil. Pilgr. 17184 Thys lady, with hyr corbyd bak, Was y-moselyd with that sak. 1457 Sc. Acts Jas. II (1814) II. 49/2 At na woman cum to þe kirk nor mercat w{supt} hir face musalyt or couerit þ{supt} scho may no{supt} be kende. 1582 Reg. Privy Council Scot. III. 525 Scho fand the foirsaid nowmer of personis accowterit in maner foirsaid, all mussallit. 1590 Ibid. IV. 533 They wer unknawne to him, thay being missallit. |
| fig. 1589 R. Bruce Serm. iv. (1590) O 3, They that are this way misseled vp in thair saull, of all men in the earth they are maist miserable. |
5. To restrain from speaking, impose silence upon.
† a. Phr.
to muzzle (up) the mouth of (a person).
| 1531 Tindale Exp. 1 John (1538) 42 b, Who..wold put his heade in y⊇ Romysh byshops haltre that so moseleth mens mouthes, that they can not open them. 1569 Reg. Privy Council Scot. I. 680 It plesit the Almichtie to brydill and musall up the mouth of Sathan. a 1586 Sidney Ps. xxxix. i, I muzzle will my mouth while in the sight I do abide of wicked wight. 1642 Prince Rupert's Declaration 4 Have they not by imprisonment or threats muzzeled the mouthes of the most grave and learnedst Preachers of London? 1737 Whiston Josephus, Hist. Pref. (1777) §5 Their tongues loosed..for law suits, but quite muzzled up when they are to write history. |
b. with person as
obj.| 1545 Brinklow Compl. xvi. (1874) 40 Shal not he than do a Christen preacher wrong,..that moselyth hym for the space of whole .xij. monthes? 1577–87 Holinshed Chron. II. 16/2 There is nothing that ought to moozzell vp anie one from rebuking other nations. 1825 Syd. Smith Wks. (1867) II. 200 What establishment can muzzle its fools and lunatics. 1878 Seeley Stein III. 370 The best way of muzzling him was to take him into the Austrian service. 1888 Bryce Amer. Commw. xi. I. 145 Congress has other means of muzzling an ambitious chief magistrate. |
6. Naut. † a. to lie muzzled: (of a ship) to remain inactive. So
to muzzle oneself: to cease from action.
Obs. b. In yachting use: To take in (a sail).
| 1697 W. Dampier Voy. (1699) 83 We saw a Ship..: We lay muzled to let her come up with us, for we supposed her to be a Spanish Ship. 1726 G. Shelvocke Voy. round World 195 Their fire had little or no effect, all stood fast with us, and they muzzled themselves. 1745 Gentl. Mag. July 352 The Lion's rigging being cut to pieces,..all her lower masts and topmasts shot thro' in many places, so that she lay muzzled in the sea, and could do nothing with her sails. 1884 E. F. Knight Cruise of Falcon I. iii. 30, I had to call up the watch below to muzzle the sail. 1895 Outing (U.S.) XXVI. 46/1 Muzzle it, man the down-haul! |
† 7. To render ineffective or inoperative.
Obs.| 1706 E. Baynard in Sir J. Floyer Hot & Cold Bath. ii. 250 Whilst they [sc. the salts] are swimming in the Fluid, they are muzzled and invelloped in the clammy and glutinous Parts. |
8. To muffle (bells). Now
dial.| 1708 Lond. Gaz. No. 4489/2 The Bells were muzled, and rang as for a Funeral the whole Evening. 1883 Almondbury & Huddersf. Gloss., Muzzle, used for muffle, in regard to the church bells. |
9. slang. To hit on the mouth; hence, to thrash.
| 1851 Mayhew Lond. Labour I. 16/1 It is often said in admiration of such a man that ‘he could muzzle half a dozen bobbies before breakfast’. 1859 Hotten's Slang Dict., Muzzle, to fight or thrash. 1888 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Robbery under Arms II. vi. 106 Jim and I jumped off and muzzled him. |
10. slang. To take, ‘bag’.
| 1890 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Col. Reformer ix, I thought, Sir, as you'd like a snack, so I muzzled enough grub for two. 1897 Barrère & Leland Dict. Slang, Muzzle, to get, to take. |
▪ V. ˈmuzzle, v.2 dial. [app. connected with muzz v. and muzzy.] a. trans. To make ‘muzzy’; to fuddle.
b. intr. To drink to excess (1828 in
Craven Gloss.).
| 1796 C. Smith Marchmont III. 43 Gads my life, if I don't believe though that the cheating sly rascal put summot in my drink,..I becomed all of a sudden as muzzled! as muzzled! 1856 C. M. Yonge Daisy Chain ii. ix, You have read yourself into a maze,..what Mary calls, muzzling your head. |
Hence
ˈmuzzling vbl. n.| 1828 Craven Gloss. 1866 Motley Corr. (1889) II. 222 From his point of view all our guzzlings and muzzlings must seem reprehensible. |