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mal·let (mălĭt)
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n.
1.
a. A short-handled hammer, usually with a cylindrical head of wood, used chiefly to drive a chisel or wedge.
b. A similar tool with a rubber, leather, or plastic head, used to strike a surface without damaging it.
2. Sports A long-handled implement used to strike a ball, as in croquet and polo.
3. Music A light hammer with a rounded head for striking a percussion instrument.
[Middle English mailet, mallet, from Old French maillet, diminutive of mail, maul; see MAUL.]
(click for a larger image)
mallet
rubber mallet
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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