maul
Americannoun
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a heavy hammer, as for driving stakes or wedges.
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Archaic. a heavy club or mace.
verb (used with object)
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to handle or use roughly.
The book was badly mauled by its borrowers.
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to injure by a rough beating, shoving, or the like; bruise.
to be mauled by an angry crowd.
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to split with a maul and wedge, as a wooden rail.
verb
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to handle clumsily; paw
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to batter or lacerate
noun
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a heavy two-handed hammer suitable for driving piles, wedges, etc
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rugby a loose scrum that forms around a player who is holding the ball and on his feet
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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maulsimple
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maulssimple
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have mauledperfect
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has mauledperfect
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am maulingprogressive
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are maulingprogressive
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is maulingprogressive
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have been maulingperfect progressive
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has been maulingperfect progressive
Past
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mauledsimple
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had mauledperfect
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was maulingprogressive
-
were maulingprogressive
-
had been maulingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of maul
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
Explanation
Maul is both the name of a heavy hammer, and also a verb meaning beating and scratching. Tigers, lions, bears––animals with powerful paws and sharp claws, will maul their victims. The maul came to be used as a weapon in the late Middle Ages––if your opponent is wearing armor that a steel sword-blade can't penetrate, you can still inflict damage by mauling them with a hammer. You might not be able to stab your opponent, but at least you can maul them.
Vocabulary lists containing maul
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And if you missed them, it’s also a good chance to catch up on recent shows like “Wonder Man” and “Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord.”
From MarketWatch • Jun. 30, 2026
Rob Maul covers snooker for the Sun and Shane McDermott has been a mainstay of the media room for the Mirror.
From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026
Gisella Maul made a 3 for Texas at the halftime buzzer to close the Longhorns’ deficit to 43-31.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 31, 2024
Why work for Darth Maul when Darth Vader is around?
From Salon • Nov. 30, 2023
"Great possibilities lie in that direction, and I firmly believe that we have at last found the way of peace and honor and justice to all," said young Maul.
From The Hindered Hand or, The Reign of the Repressionist by Bell, Robert E.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
