noun
mal
mal
noun
1
Illness or affliction (used in medical and legal phrases borrowed from French, such as "mal de mer").
"The sailors suffered from mal de mer on the crossing."
How to Use Mal
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA borrowed French word for sickness, mostly seen inside fixed phrases rather than used alone.
Common pairings
mal de mer
grand mal
petit mal
Word Forms
mals plural, mals plural, mals plural
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The sailors suffered from _____ de mer on the crossing.
Etymology
Borrowed from French mal, "illness," ultimately from Latin malus, "bad."