1810, member of a gang of murderers and robbers in India who strangled their victims, from Marathi thag, thak cheat, swindler, Hindi thag, perhaps from Sanskrit sthaga-s cunning, fraudulent, possibly from sthagayati (he) covers, conceals, from PIE root *(s)teg- cover (see stegosaurus).
It may also occur in one ear or both ears. The most common reason for muffled hearing is conductive hearing loss that can be caused by a variety of factors or medical conditions including a build up of ear wax and ear infections. In most cases, however, it is treatable and does not lead to permanent hearing damage.
To muffle is to quiet a sound, usually by wrapping it with something. If you try to speak with a scarf over your mouth, your voice will be muffled. When a hitman puts a silencer on a gun, he's muffling the sound of gunshots, since muffling makes things quieter. Usually, muffling involves wrapping something around or putting something over a noisy thing. Muffling dampens, tones down, deadens, and dulls. Also, if you hold down your emotions and don't express them, you're muffling them.