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• mace
  mace

  noun

  a clublike armor-breaking weapon of war, often with a flanged or spiked metal head, used chiefly in the Middle Ages.
• Mace
  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.

mace

¹ American  

[meys] / meɪs /

noun

1. a clublike armor-breaking weapon of war, often with a flanged or spiked metal head, used chiefly in the Middle Ages.

2. a ceremonial staff carried before or by certain officials as a symbol of office.

3. macebearer.

4. Billiards. a light stick with a flat head, formerly used at times instead of a cue.

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mace ² American  

[meys] / meɪs /

noun

1. a spice ground from the layer between a nutmeg shell and its outer husk, resembling nutmeg in flavor.

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Mace ³ American  

[meys] / meɪs /

Trademark.

1. 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.

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verb (used with object)

Maced, Macing

1. (sometimes lowercase) to attack with Mace spray.

mace ¹ British  

/ meɪs /

noun

1. a club, usually having a spiked metal head, used esp in the Middle Ages

2. a ceremonial staff of office carried by certain officials

3. See macebearer

4. an early form of billiard cue

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Mace ² British  

/ meɪs /

noun

1. a liquid causing tears and nausea, used as a spray for riot control, etc

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verb

1. (tr; sometimes not capital) to use Mace on

mace ³ British  

/ meɪs /

noun

1. a spice made from the dried aril round the nutmeg seed

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Etymology

Origin of mace¹

1250–1300; Middle English < Old French (compare French masse ) large mallet < Vulgar Latin *mattea; akin to Latin matteola kind of mallet; compare Sanskrit matya harrow

Origin of mace²

1350–1400; Middle English, back formation from macis (taken as plural) < Middle French < Latin maccis a spice

Origin of Mace³

1965–70; probably from mace ¹ ( def. ) (in the sense “clublike weapon”)

Explanation

You might see the leader of a royal procession carrying a mace, or ceremonial staff. The word mace can also refer to two very different weapons: a long stick with spikes on the end or a chemical irritant that you spray in someone's eyes. Ouch! Ever see a film about medieval knights battling one another? The spiked weapon that some knights used was called a mace — and it could put quite a dent in your skull. Because we’re all much more civilized now, we don’t use iron maces anymore, but police officers and riot police do use a chemical spray called Mace, which has much the same effect. It was invented in 1968, just in time to deal with pesky student agitators and the like. Get that in your eyes and it’ll ruin your day.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mace Mace Maced

The effect here isn’t simply to wow us by Hemsworth taking some bear mace to the face or threatening to plummet from a frightening height, although those possibilities also make good TV.

From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2025

She said her brother was sprayed with bear mace and left the encampment Wednesday morning to wash up in his dorm room.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2024

Evidence includes fishing-net weights; tools made of basalt, a stone that does not naturally occur along this part of the eastern Mediterranean coast; and a ceremonial mace head.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 30, 2024

Beat until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, then beat in another ½ cup of the remaining flour plus the nutmeg, mace or cinnamon.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 12, 2023

Dimple could see now that the boy held a golden gada, or mace, in one hand, not a sword.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

Caleb said he was told the Llantrisant Mace was older than most of the Crown Jewels and survived Oliver Cromwell trying to melt down any remaining precious metal bearing Charles I's crest.

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026

It’s best for everyone, Mace included, that she take a breather to touch grass.

From Slate ● Jun. 13, 2026

It was a far cry from past confabs, when Kimberly Guilfoyle stood on the main stage praising Trump’s Supreme Court nominees and girls formed long lines to meet Rep. Nancy Mace.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

Mace serves as the lead principal investigator of the pancreatitis trial.

From Science Daily ● May 30, 2026

He followed Mace and Nettle into the din and fumy stench of the first bar along the front.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

A Columbus reporter, Robert Mac Vicar, who was Maced in the face during Ohio State University demonstrations last fall, is suing for $300,000 for violation of his civil rights.

From Time Magazine Archive

The police even victimized a member of the British Parliament, Mrs. Anne Kerr, a vacationing Laborite who was Maced outside the Conrad Hilton and hustled off to the lockup.

From Time Magazine Archive

Q: "What's the best amateur first-aid for persons who have been Maced?"

From Time Magazine Archive

A prince, named Leo Maced, was once accused by a monk of forming a plan to murder his father, the emperor.

From Minnie's Pet Parrot by Madeline Leslie

Related Words

• baton