muffles

Noun

muffle (plural muffles)

1. Anything that mutes or deadens sound.
2. A warm piece of clothing for the hands.
3. (archaic, slang) A boxing glove.
   • N.B.—Mr Broughton proposes, with proper assistance, to open an academy at his house in the Haymarket, for the instruction of those who are willing to be initiated in the mystery of boxing: […] muffles are provided, that will effectually secure them from the inconveniency of black eyes, broken jaws...1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC
4. A kiln or furnace, often electric, with no direct flames (a muffle furnace)
5. The bare end of the nose between the nostrils, especially in ruminants.
6. A machine with two pulleys to hoist load by spinning wheels, polyspast, block and tackle.
   • Between the two pulleys c, c¹, and around the shaft a, is a muffle d, which receives at both ends the rounded heads of three, four, five, or more screws f, which act as levers. The levers are formed of a right and lefthanded screw, f, and f¹. The two screws are united together by means of a nut g...1858, Newton's London Journal of Arts and Sciences. New Series, volume 7, page 26

See all 11 meanings of muffle