Greymuzzle

Greymuzzle is a term of endearment or respect used towards older or more experienced therians or otherkin. Definitions differ depending on subculture and individual, but it may refer to:

• A therian who was an active member on Alt.Horror.Werewolves.
• An older, adult individual who has been an active participant in therian and otherkin community spaces for near or over a decade.
• An individual who has made widely recognized positive contributions to the otherkin and therian communities, typically over a period of several years to several decades.
• An older therian or otherkin (quite literally someone who is beginning to grey, typically someone above the age 30 or 40).
• Some combination of the above qualifiers.

The term is largely considered a community given title. Because of this, a person referring to themselves as a greymuzzle may be seen as attempting to make themselves seem more important or experienced than they actually are. Greymuzzle and related terms, like elder and old fruit, do not denote any claim to community leadership and are not representative of a hierarchical rank.

Some individuals may insist that greymuzzle is a term that can only be used regarding therians, but its usage has spread to other nonhuman-identifying communities in the last decade. It has been defined both within otherkin circles as an term that otherkin can use and it has been used in academia to refer to both otherkin and therians.

History and etymology

The use of 'greymuzzle' in therian circles was likely inspired by the furry fandom's use of the term to refer to pre-internet furries, older furries, and furries who have been involved in the fandom for specific lengths of time. The first known use of the term on alt.horror.werewolves comes from Smash Graywolf sometime prior to 1996 or 1997.

The term is likely a reference to to the ways in which some species of canine, such as wolves and domestic dogs, will develop grey fur on their face as they grow older.