muffle
English
Etymology
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 *muffël "a muff, wrap, envelope" from *muff- "sleeve, wrap" (from Proto-Germanic *mawwō (“sleeve”)) + *vël "skin, hide" (from Proto-Germanic *fellą (“skin, film, fleece”), from Proto-Indo-European *pel(e)(w)-, *plē(w)- (“skin, hide”)). Akin to Middle High German mouwe, mōwe (“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 molawēn "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.
Pronunciation
- Rhymes: -ʌfəl
Noun
muffle (plural muffles)
- Anything that mutes or deadens sound.
- A warm piece of clothing for the hands.
- A kiln or furnace, often electric, with no direct flames (a muffle furnace)
- The bare end of the nose between the nostrils, especially in ruminants.
Translations
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Verb
muffle (third-person singular simple present muffles, present participle muffling, simple past and past participle muffled)
- (transitive) To wrap up (a person, face etc.) in fabric or another covering, for warmth or protection.
- (transitive) To wrap up or cover (a source of noise) in order to deaden the sound.
- (transitive) To mute or deaden (a sound etc.).
- 1999, George RR Martin, A Clash of Kings, Bantam 2011, p. 397:
- The singer's voice was muffled by the thick walls, yet Tyrion knew the verse.
- 1999, George RR Martin, A Clash of Kings, Bantam 2011, p. 397:
- (intransitive, dated) To speak indistinctly, or without clear articulation.