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muf·fle¹

(mŭfəl)

tr.v. muf·fled, muf·fling, muf·fles

1. 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.

3. To make vague or obscure: "His message was so muffled by learning and 'artiness'" (Walter Blair).

4. To repress; stifle.

1. Something that muffles.

2. A kiln or part of a kiln in which pottery can be fired without being exposed to direct flame.

[Middle English muflen, possibly from Old French mofler, to stuff, from mofle, glove; see MUFF².]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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