- The definition of a muffle is a kiln or furnace that keeps items put inside protected from direct flames.
An example of a muffle is the device a potter would use to fire their clay bowls.
- Muffle is defined as to wrap or cover for protection, to keep warm or make quiet.
- An example of muffle is wrapping a citrus tree in a blanket to protect it from frost.
- An example of muffle is putting your hand over someone's mouth to keep them quiet.
transitive verb-·fled, -·fling
- to wrap up in a shawl, blanket, cloak, etc. so as to hide, keep warm, or protect
- to wrap or cover in order to deaden or prevent sound
- to deaden (a sound), as by wrapping
- to prevent the expression of; stifle
Origin of muffleMiddle English muflen, probably akin to Old French enmouflé, muffled from moufle, a mitten: see muff
- an oven in which pottery, etc. can be fired without being exposed directly to the flame
- the fleshy bare part of the upper lip and nose of certain mammals, as ruminants or rabbits
transitive verbmuf·fled, muf·fling, muf·fles
- To wrap up, as in a blanket or shawl, for warmth, protection, or secrecy.
- a. To wrap or pad in order to deaden the sound: muffled the drums.b. To deaden (a sound): The sand muffled the hoofbeats.
- To make vague or obscure: “His message was so muffled by learning and 'artiness'” ( Walter Blair )
- To repress; stifle.
- Something that muffles.
- A kiln or part of a kiln in which pottery can be fired without being exposed to direct flame.
Origin of muffleMiddle English muflen possibly from Old French mofler to stuff from mofle glove ; see muff 2.
Origin of muffleFrench mufle perhaps blend of moufle chubby face ( from Old French; see muff 2. ) museau muzzle ( from Old French musel ; see muzzle . )
(third-person singular simple present muffles, present participle muffling, simple past and past participle muffled)
- To wrap (a person, face etc.) in fabric or another covering, for warmth or protection; often with up.
- To wrap up or cover (a source of noise) in order to deaden the sound.
- to muffle the strings of a drum, or that part of an oar which rests in the rowlock
- To mute or deaden (a sound etc.).
- (intransitive, dated) To speak indistinctly, or without clear articulation.
- (dated) To prevent seeing, or hearing, or speaking, by wraps bound about the head; to blindfold; to deafen.
Middle English muflen "to muffle", aphetic alteration of Anglo-Norman amoufler, from Old French enmoufler (“to wrap up, muffle"), from moufle (“mitten"), from Medieval Latin muffula (“a muff"), of Germanic origin ("”first recorded in the Capitulary of Aachen in 817 CE), from Frankish *muffÃ«l "a muff, wrap, envelope" from *muff- "sleeve, wrap" (from Proto-Germanic *mawwÅ (“sleeve")) + *vÃ«l "skin, hide" (from Proto-Germanic *fellÄ… (“skin, film, fleece"), from Proto-Indo-European *pel(e)(w)-, *plÄ“(w)- (“skin, hide")). Akin to Middle High German mouwe, mÅwe (“sleeve") (German Muff "muff", Dutch mouw "sleeve"). Alternate etymology traces the Medieval Latin word to Frankish *molfell (“soft garment made of hide") from *mol (“softened, forworn") (akin to Old High German molawÄ“n "to soften", Middle High German molwic "soft") + *fell (“hide, skin"). Akin to Old High German fel (“fell, skin, hide"), Old English fell (“fell, skin, hide"). More at mulch, fell, camouflage.