Main Entry: mall

Pronunciation: \ˈmȯl, especially British & for 1 ˈmal\

Function: noun

Etymology: short for obsolete pall-mall mallet used in pall-mall

Date: 1644

1 : an alley used for pall-mall
2 [The Mall, promenade in London, originally a pall-mall alley] a : a usually public area often set with shade trees and designed as a promenade or as a pedestrian walk b : a usually paved or grassy strip between two roadways
3 a : an urban shopping area featuring a variety of shops surrounding a usually open-air concourse reserved for pedestrian traffic b : a usually large suburban building or group of buildings containing various shops with associated passageways