muffler

American  

[muhf-ler] / ˈmʌf lər /

noun

1. a scarf worn around one's neck for warmth.

2. any of various devices for deadening sound, as the sound of escaping gases of an internal-combustion engine.

3. anything used for muffling sound.

4. Armor. a mittenlike glove worn with a mail hauberk.

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muffler British  

/ ˈmʌflə /

noun

1. a thick scarf, collar, etc

2. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): silencer.  any device designed to reduce noise, esp the tubular device containing baffle plates in the exhaust system of a motor vehicle

3. something that muffles

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Etymology

Origin of muffler

First recorded in 1525–35; muffle ¹ + -er ¹

Example Sentences

What were they doing to develop “anti-smog muffler devices”? A month later, Hahn got back the first of many testy, patronizing responses.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

He even came to see me in his second-hand car, which was lacking a muffler, and we drove noisily over to Bass Lake and went swimming.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 2, 2025

According to court documents, a Portsmouth homeowner was working on his property in September 2020 when he heard the loud muffler of a passing car.

From Washington Times • May 3, 2023

Not too long ago, I was driving to get an estimate to install a new muffler on my truck.

From Washington Post • Apr. 26, 2022

He could still hear the door slamming too, and there, that clatter, that was the muffler pipe.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen