A snout is a protruding part of an animal's head that contains the nostrils and often the mouth. Some synonyms for snout can be muzzle, proboscis, beak, nose, or rostrum. A muzzle often refers to the snout of a dog, while proboscis is commonly used to describe the snout of an elephant or other large animals. A beak usually refers to the pointed snout of a bird, while nose is often used to describe the snout of a human or domesticated animal such as a horse. Rostrum is a synonym more commonly used to describe the snout of fish or other aquatic animals.