mallet

noun

mal·​let ˈma-lət How to pronounce mallet (audio)
: a hammer with a typically barrel-shaped head: such as
a
: a tool with a large head for driving another tool or for striking a surface without marring it
b
: a long-handled wooden implement used for striking a ball (as in polo or croquet)
c
: a light hammer with a small rounded or spherical usually padded head used in playing certain musical instruments (such as a vibraphone)

Examples of mallet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Using the small mallet included, your special someone will have a blast breaking open four chocolate hearts to reveal the candies inside. ABC News, 6 Feb. 2024 During a business meeting in Luxembourg, a masked man with a rubber mallet attacked Glock in a garage. Jay Caruso, Washington Examiner, 28 Dec. 2023 Instant chocolate pudding 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, semisweet or milk Directions Crush cookies for crust: Add 36 chocolate cookies to a large zip-top plastic bag and crush, using a rolling pin or meat mallet, until fine crumbs form. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 26 Dec. 2023 Upon arriving at the scene, Haitian investigators found plastic handcuffs, mallets, hoods and 399 cartridges of mostly 5.56 and 7.62 MM bullets. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2024 Enlarge / Wooden mallet and esparto sandals from Cueva de los Murciélagos in Spain dated to the Neolithic period, 6,200 years ago. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 29 Sep. 2023 In the 1930s their son, Robert, joined the family business and helped establish its iconography — including the restaurant and hotel’s famous roadside billboards depicting cartoon chefs (Hap-Pea and Pea-Wee) splitting peas with a mallet and chisel. Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2024 There’s Bucky Beaver, a naturally industrious woodworker, who holds a carver’s mallet and chisel in his paws, and Reggie Raccoon, who totes a garbage can. Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2023 Dunn also allegedly admitted to pinching the genitalia of both children and hitting them in the head with a hard foam mallet and with the butt of a Nerf gun, police say in the affidavit. Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 26 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mallet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English maillet, from Anglo-French, diminutive of mail hammer — more at maul

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mallet was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near mallet

Cite this Entry

“Mallet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mallet. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mallet

noun
mal·​let ˈmal-ət How to pronounce mallet (audio)
: a hammer usually with a barrel-shaped head: as
a
: one with a large head used for driving a tool (as a chisel) or for striking a surface without damaging it
b
: a club for striking a ball (as in croquet or polo)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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