Muz"zle (?), n. [OE. mosel, OF. musel, F. museau muzzle or snout, LL. musellus, fr. musus, morsus. See Muse, v. i., and cf. Morsel.] 1. The projecting mouth and nose of a quadruped, as of a horse; a snout.

2. The mouth of a thing; the end for entrance or discharge; as, the muzzle of a gun.

3. A fastening or covering (as a band or cage) for the mouth of an animal, to prevent eating or vicious biting.

With golden muzzles all their mouths were bound

Muz"zle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Muzzled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Muzzling (?).] [F. museler.] 1. To bind the mouth of; to fasten the mouth of, so as to prevent biting or eating; hence, figuratively, to bind; to sheathe; to restrain from speech or action. "My dagger muzzled." Shak.

Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.

2. To fondle with the closed mouth. [Obs.] L'Estrange.

Muz"zle, v. i. To bring the mouth or muzzle near.

The bear muzzles and smells to him.

• mouth a dog etc.
  
• open end of a gun etc. that the bullet emerges from as opposed to the breech
  
• a device used to stop a dog etc. from biting
  
• to apply a muzzle
  
• to restrain (from speaking or acting), to reign in