maul

[ mawl ]

noun

1. a heavy hammer, as for driving stakes or wedges.
2. Archaic. a heavy club or mace.

verb (used with object)

1. to handle or use roughly:

   The book was badly mauled by its borrowers.

2. to injure by a rough beating, shoving, or the like; bruise:

   to be mauled by an angry crowd.

3. to split with a maul and wedge, as a wooden rail.

maul

/ mɔːl /

verb

1. to handle clumsily; paw
2. to batter or lacerate

noun

1. a heavy two-handed hammer suitable for driving piles, wedges, etc
2. rugby a loose scrum that forms around a player who is holding the ball and on his feet

Derived Forms

• ˈmauler, noun

Other Words From

• maul·er noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of maul¹

First recorded in 1200–50; (noun) Middle English malle, from Old French mail “mallet, hammer,” from Latin malleus “hammer”; (verb) Middle English mallen, from Old French maillier, derivative of noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of maul¹

C13: from Old French mail, from Latin malleus hammer. See mallet

Example Sentences

Once England halted the Springboks maul at Twickenham in the autumn of 2018, Erasmus called for change at the set-piece after he felt his side lacked a pressure point against opposition.

From BBC

Wales retaliated with another driving maul, which forced Fiji to concede a penalty try and led to Canakaivata's yellow card.

From BBC

Despite this, Fiji appeared to have taken the lead with an attacking driving maul that had yielded a penalty try but was ruled out for obstruction.

From BBC

Richard Capstick saw yellow for entering the maul from an off-side position just before half-time and although Exeter managed to shut out Newcastle while he was off, the effort seemed to tell as the Falcons came on strong in the second period.

From BBC

The group said the allegations include not just killing people, but also assaulting and allowing police dogs to maul them.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• beat up
• bludgeon
• drub
• lacerate
• molest
• mug
• pummel
• rough up
• thrash
• trample