muffle

1
[ muhf-uhl ]
See synonyms for: mufflemuffled on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),muf·fled, muf·fling.
  1. to wrap with something to deaden or prevent sound: to muffle drums.

  2. to deaden (sound) by wrappings or other means.

  1. to wrap or envelop in a cloak, shawl, coat, etc., especially to keep warm or protect the face and neck (often followed by up): Muffle up the children before they go out.

  2. to wrap (oneself) in a garment or other covering: muffled in silk.

  3. to alter temporarily the profile of (a plaster mold) in order to run a base coat of plaster that will later be covered by a finish coat having the true profile.

noun
  1. something that muffles.

  2. muffled sound.

  1. an oven or arched chamber in a furnace or kiln, used for heating substances without direct contact with the fire.

Origin of muffle

1
First recorded in 1450–1500; late Middle English muffelen “to veil, cover”; probably a derivative of Old French moufle “mitten”; see also muff

Words Nearby muffle

Other definitions for muffle (2 of 2)

muffle2
[ muhf-uhl ]

noun
  1. the thick, bare part of the upper lip and nose of ruminants and rodents.

Origin of muffle

2
First recorded in 1600–10; from Middle French mufle “muzzle, snout,” probably blend of moufle “chubby face” and museau muzzle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use muffle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for muffle (1 of 2)

muffle1

/ (ˈmʌfəl) /


verb(tr)
  1. (often foll by up) to wrap up (the head) in a scarf, cloak, etc, esp for warmth

  2. to deaden (a sound or noise), esp by wrapping

  1. to prevent (the expression of something) by (someone)

noun
  1. something that muffles

  2. a kiln with an inner chamber for firing porcelain, enamel, etc, at a low temperature

Origin of muffle

1
C15: probably from Old French; compare Old French moufle mitten, emmouflé wrapped up

British Dictionary definitions for muffle (2 of 2)

muffle2

/ (ˈmʌfəl) /


noun
  1. the fleshy hairless part of the upper lip and nose in ruminants and some rodents

Origin of muffle

2
C17: from French mufle, of unknown origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012