pall-mall

¹

[pel-mel, pal-mal, pawl-mawl]

noun

1. a game, popular in the 17th century, in which a ball of boxwood was struck with a mallet in an attempt to drive it through a raised iron ring at the end of a playing alley.

2. a playing alley on which this game was played.

Pall Mall

²

[pal mal, pel mel]

noun

1. a street in London, England, famed for its clubs.

pall-mall

¹

/ ˈpælˈmæl /

noun

1. a game in which a ball is driven by a mallet along an alley and through an iron ring

2. the alley itself

Pall Mall

²

/ ˈpæl ˈmæl /

noun

1. a street in central London, noted for its many clubs

Word History and Origins

Origin of pall-mall¹

1560–70; < Middle French pallemaille < Italian pallamaglio, equivalent to palla ball (< Langobardic ) + maglio mallet (< Latin malleus ). See ball ¹, mall, mell ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of pall-mall¹

C17: from obsolete French, from Italian pallamaglio, from palla ball + maglio mallet

Example Sentences

It was merely a matter of lining up the two in sync, making a match between my pall-mall thought and aphasia.

Read more on New York Times

As the game of pall-mall went out of fashion the Mall became a promenade, and was the resort of the Court.

Read more on Project Gutenberg

But my answers were always, "Oh, nothing but Castlemain's new tantrum," or "The duke's defeat at pall-mall."

Read more on Project Gutenberg

If he played pall-mall she often watched him, and sometimes played herself.

Read more on Project Gutenberg

The Mall, St. James's Park, was formed for Charles II, who was very fond of the game 'pall-mall'.

Read more on Project Gutenberg