mace1
- a clublike armor-breaking weapon of war, often with a flanged or spiked metal head, used chiefly in the Middle Ages.
- a ceremonial staff carried before or by certain officials as a symbol of office.
- macebearer.
- Billiards. a light stick with a flat head, formerly used at times instead of a cue.
Origin of mace1
mace2
- a spice ground from the layer between a nutmeg shell and its outer husk, resembling nutmeg in flavor.
Origin of mace2
Mace
- Also called Chemical Mace. a nonlethal spray containing purified tear gas and chemical solvents that temporarily incapacitate a person mainly by causing eye and skin irritations: used especially as a means of subduing rioters.
- (sometimes lowercase) to attack with Mace spray.
Origin of Mace
Examples from the Web for mace
Contemporary Examples
Some later claimed that a cop shook a can of mace, an uncalled for act of aggravation, one man said.
Ferguson Protesters Harass Black Police, Call for Darren Wilson’s DeathJustin Glawe
November 21, 2014
Jaime was taught to fight with sword and lance and mace, and I was taught to smile and sing and please.
In 1988, producer Mace Neufeld approached Costner about The Hunt for Red October.
Larson told Bundermann that they needed cover fire before they could make a run for it and try to bring Mace to the Aid Station.
He opened the back door of the Humvee, where Mace was trying ease himself out.
Historical Examples
In China, he is often represented with a mace (symbolizing a thunderbolt) instead of a sword.
The Chinese Fairy BookVarious
If you are told to use cloves, and have none, a bit of mace may be substituted.
Culture and CookingCatherine Owen
Clear the gravy from the fat, and put into it four ounces of boiled rice, an onion stuck with cloves, and a blade of mace.
Slice to these the crumb of four small rolls, and then strain to it three quarts of good veal gravy, boiled with a blade of mace.
Having cleaned them nicely, rub every part well with a seasoning of white pepper and salt, mace and allspice in fine powder.
mace1
- a club, usually having a spiked metal head, used esp in the Middle Ages
- a ceremonial staff of office carried by certain officials
- See macebearer
- an early form of billiard cue
Word Origin
mace2
- a spice made from the dried aril round the nutmeg seed
Word Origin
Mace
- trademark a liquid causing tears and nausea, used as a spray for riot control, etc
- (tr; sometimes not capital) to use Mace on
Word Origin and History for mace
n.1
"heavy metal weapon, often with a spiked head," late 13c., from Old French mace "a club, scepter" (Modern French masse), from Vulgar Latin *mattea (cf. Italian mazza, Spanish maza "mace"), from Latin mateola (in Late Latin also matteola) "a kind of mallet." The Latin word perhaps is cognate with Sanskrit matyam "harrow, club," Old Church Slavonic motyka "mattock," Old High German medela "plow" [Klein]. As a symbol of authority or office from mid-15c.
n.2
"spice made from dry outer husk of nutmeg," late 14c., from Old French macis (in English taken as a plural and stripped of its -s), of uncertain origin, sometimes said to be a scribal error for Latin macir, the name of a red spicy bark from India, but OED finds this etymology unlikely.
Mace
n.3
chemical spray originally used in riot control, 1966, technically Chemical Mace, a proprietary name (General Ordnance Equipment Corp, Pittsburgh, Pa.), probably so called for its use as a weapon, in reference to mace (1). The verb is first attested 1968. Related: Maced; macing.
Mace
- An alternate trademark for Chemical Mace, an aerosol used to immobilize an attacker temporarily.