noun
maul
mawl
noun
1
A heavy hammer used for driving wedges when splitting logs, or as a weapon.
"He swung the maul down onto the wedge to split the log in two."
verb
1
To injure someone badly by tearing at them, typically said of an animal attack.
"The hiker was mauled by a bear after surprising it on the trail."
2
To handle roughly or criticise harshly.
"Critics mauled the director's latest film."
How to Use Maul
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo attack and injure violently (like an animal mauling someone), or, as a noun, a heavy splitting hammer.
Common pairings
mauled by a dog
maul a critic
wield a maul
Word Forms
mauled past tense, mauls plural, mauls singular
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He swung the _____ down onto the wedge to split the log in two.
Etymology
From Old French mail, "hammer," going back to Latin malleus — the same root behind "malleable."