mallet en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ˈmælɪt/
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *melh₂-? Proto-Indo-European *mer-? Proto-Indo-European *merh₂-? Latin malleum Old French mail Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tosder.? Late Latin -ittus Old French -et Old French mailletbor. Middle English maylet English mallet Inherited from Middle English maylet, borrowed from Old French maillet, from mail + -et.
Meanings
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A type of hammer with a larger-than-usual head made of wood, rubber or similar non-iron material, used by woodworkers for driving a tool, such as a chisel. A kind of maul.
We used a mallet to drive the tent pegs into the ground.
Carpenters use mallets for assembling.
-
A weapon resembling the tool, but typically much larger.
The Mallet of arms, according to the representation of it given by Father Daniel, exactly resembles the wooden instrument of that name, now in use, except in the length of the handle, it was like the hammer of arms, to be used with both hands, indeed it differed very little from that weapon in its form.
1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page 51:
- A small hammer-like tool used for playing certain musical instruments.
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A light beetle with a long handle used in playing croquet.
I had had no opportunity as yet of passing on Poirot’s message to Lawrence. But now, as I strolled out on the lawn, still nursing a grudge against my friend’s high-handedness, I saw Lawrence on the croquet lawn, aimlessly knocking a couple of very ancient balls about, with a still more ancient mallet.
1920, Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, London: Pan Books, published 1954, page 120:
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The stick used to strike the ball in the sport of polo.
I regularly have cause to recall a scene from a novel called Madder Music, by Peter de Vries, in which the main character, a writer who specialises in polo, hears a match announcer telling newcomers to the ground that, contrary to popular belief, the ball is struck with the side of the mallet, rather than the end.
2016 September 13, Tim Dowling, “Order force: the old grammar rule we all obey without realising”, in The Guardian:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| mallets | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Mallet · serving mallet · mallet finger · croquet mallet · malletman · mallet toe · mallet poison · malleter
Translations (67)
ru колоту́шка (small maul) · grc σφῦρα (small maul) · mi kuru (small maul) · pl obijak (small maul) · ru кия́нка (small maul) · ba балға (small maul) · it mazzetta (small maul) · ms tukul kayu (small maul) · sv klubba (instrument for playing croquet) · ota چوگان (instrument for playing polo) · it mazza da croquet (instrument for playing croquet) · cmn 木槌 (small maul) · tl balatak (small maul) · el ματσόλα (small maul) · lb Schlo (small maul) · la malleus (small maul) · gl maza (musical drumstick) · ota طوقماق (small maul) · sv stridsklubba (weapon resembling the tool) · de Gummihammer (small maul) · ja 木槌 (small maul) · hu ütő (instrument for playing croquet) · fi nuija (weapon resembling the tool) · sv hammare (small maul) · cmn 槌 (small maul) · no kølle (instrument for playing croquet) · fr mailloche (musical drumstick) · cs palice (small maul) · fi nuija (small maul) · bg дървен чук (small maul) · gl maza (small maul) · pl knypel (small maul) · fa تخماق (small maul) · de Klopfholz (small maul) · gl maza (weapon resembling the tool) · it maglio (small maul) · rif azduz (small maul) · fa کدین (small maul) · ms gandin (small maul) · rup malj (small maul) · de Holzhammer (small maul) · rup maljiu (small maul) · ru деревя́нный молото́к (small maul) · fi nuija (musical drumstick) · nb klubbe (small maul) · ru молото́к (instrument for playing croquet) · gl pisón (small maul) · pl drewniany młotek (small maul) · eo maleo (small maul) · fi maila (instrument for playing polo) · ba сүкеш (small maul) · fr maillet (small maul) · mt mazzola (small maul) · gl mazo (small maul) · es mazo (small maul) · fi maila (instrument for playing croquet) · pl podbijak (small maul) · la tudes (small maul) · ro mai (small maul) · ca maça (small maul) · fi malletti (musical drumstick) · sv klubba (small maul) · hy թակ (small maul) · rup malju (small maul) · nn klubbe (small maul) · pt malho (small maul) · da kølle (small maul)