muzzle

The story

1. Late Latin · derived frommūsus“snout”
2. Old French · derived frommusel
3. Middle English · inherited frommosel
4. English todaymuzzle

From earlier muzle, musle, mousle, mussel, mozell, from Middle English mosel, from Old French musel, museau, muzeau (modern French museau), from Late Latin mūsus (“snout”), probably expressive of the shape of protruded lips and/or influenced by Latin mūgīre (“to moo, bellow”). Doublet of museau. Displaced native Middle English kevel from Old English cæfl (“gag, bit, muzzle”), see English cavel.

Words from the same roots