different between muffle vs smother
muffle
English
Etymology
From 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 C.E.), from Frankish *muffël (“a muff, wrap, envelope”) from *mauwa (“sleeve, wrap”) (from Proto-Germanic *maww? (“sleeve”)) + *vël (“skin, hide”) (from Proto-Germanic *fell? (“skin, film, fleece”). Alternate etymology traces the Medieval Latin word to Frankish *molfell (“soft garment made of hide”) from *mol (“softened, forworn”) (akin to Old High German molaw?n (“to soften”), Middle High German molwic (“soft”), English mulch) + *fell (“hide, skin”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /m?fl?/
- Rhymes: -?f?l
Noun
muffle (plural muffles)
- Anything that mutes or deadens sound.
- A warm piece of clothing for the hands.
- (slang, archaic) A boxing glove.
- 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.
- A machine with two pulleys to hoist load by spinning wheels, polyspast, block and tackle.
Translations
Verb
muffle (third-person singular simple present muffles, present participle muffling, simple past and past participle muffled)
- (transitive) To wrap (a person, face etc.) in fabric or another covering, for warmth or protection; often with up.
- The face lies muffled up within the garment.
- He muffled with a cloud his mournful eyes.
- 1712, John Arbuthnot, The History of John Bull
- muffled up in darkness and superstition
- (transitive) 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
- (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.
- (transitive, dated) To prevent seeing, or hearing, or speaking, by wraps bound about the head; to blindfold; to deafen.
Translations
muffle From the web:
- what muffler fits my car
- what muffler is the loudest
- what muffler should i get
- what muffles sound
- what muffler shop is open today
- what muffler sounds good on a v6
- what muffles sound the best
- what muffler does
smother
English
Alternative forms
- smoother (obsolete)
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /?sm?ð?/
- Rhymes: -?ð?(r)
Etymology 1
From Middle English smothren, smortheren, alteration (due to smother, smorther (“a suffocating vapour, dense smoke”, noun)) of Middle English smoren (“to smother”), from Old English smorian (“to smother, suffocate, choke”), from Proto-Germanic *smur?n? (“to suffocate, strangle”). Cognate with Middle Low German smoren, smurten (“to choke, suffocate”), West Flemish smoren (“to smoke, reek”), Dutch smoren (“to suffocate, smother", also "to stew, simmer”), German schmoren (“to stew, simmer, braise”).
Verb
smother (third-person singular simple present smothers, present participle smothering, simple past and past participle smothered)
- (transitive) To suffocate; stifle; obstruct, more or less completely, the respiration of something or someone.
- (transitive) To extinguish or deaden, as fire, by covering, overlaying, or otherwise excluding the air.
- (transitive) To reduce to a low degree of vigor or activity; suppress or do away with; extinguish
- Synonyms: stifle, cover up, conceal, hide
- (transitive) In cookery: to cook in a close dish.
- (transitive) To daub or smear.
- (intransitive) To be suffocated.
- (intransitive) To breathe with great difficulty by reason of smoke, dust, close covering or wrapping, or the like.
- (intransitive, of a fire) to burn very slowly for want of air; smolder.
- (intransitive, figuratively) to perish, grow feeble, or decline, by suppression or concealment; be stifled; be suppressed or concealed.
- (soccer) To get in the way of a kick of the ball.
- (Australian rules football) To get in the way of a kick of the ball, preventing it going very far. When a player is kicking the ball, an opponent who is close enough will reach out with his hands and arms to get over the top of it, so the ball hits his hands after leaving the kicker's boot, dribbling away.
Related terms
- smotheration
- smotheriness
- smothery
Translations
Etymology 2
From Middle English smother, smorther (“a suffocating vapour, dense smoke”), from Old English smorþor (“smoke”, literally “that which suffocates”), from smorian (“to suffocate, choke”) + -þor (instrumental suffix).
Noun
smother (plural smothers)
- That which smothers or appears to smother, particularly
- Smoldering; slow combustion.
- Cookware used in such cooking. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
- (dated) The state of being stifled; suppression.
- 1625, Francis Bacon, Of Suspicion
- not to keep their suspicions in smother
- 1625, Francis Bacon, Of Suspicion
- (dated) Stifling smoke; thick dust.
- 1868, Judy (volumes 3-4, page 20)
- Then we passed the Grand Opéra, at which our fine taste revolted; the Rue de la Paix, all in a smother with the dust caused by its improvement, at which our eyes naturally distilled water; […]
- 1868, Judy (volumes 3-4, page 20)
- (Australian rules football) The act of smothering a kick (see verb section).
References
- smother in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
Anagrams
- moth-ers, mothers, thermos
smother From the web:
- what smothered means
- what smothers lice
- what smothers a fire
- what smothers bed bugs
- what smothers ticks
- what smothers fleas
- what smothers chiggers
- what smothers a grease fire
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