mace

1 of 4

noun (1)

: an aromatic spice consisting of the dried external fibrous covering of a nutmeg

mace

2 of 4

noun (2)

1
a
: a heavy often spiked staff or club used especially in the Middle Ages for breaking armor
b
: a club used as a weapon
2
a
: an ornamental staff borne as a symbol of authority before a public official (such as a magistrate) or a legislative body
b
: one who carries a mace

mace

3 of 4

verb

maced; macing

transitive verb

: to attack with the liquid Mace

Mace

4 of 4

trademark

used for a temporarily disabling liquid usually used as a spray

Examples of mace in a Sentence

Verb She maced the man who attacked her.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In a brutal roundup of 141 people on October 27, heavily fortified law enforcement officials ripped Native American elders from prayer circles, and used mace, pepper spray, sound cannons, flash bang grenades, rubber bullets, and bean bag guns. Lauren Carasik, Foreign Affairs, 9 Nov. 2016 Weapons of any kind (no knives or mace/pepper spray of any size). Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 10 Sep. 2024 For example, on October 22, water protectors holding a prayer ceremony were encircled by law enforcement who deployed mace, and arrested more than 120 people. Lauren Carasik, Foreign Affairs, 9 Nov. 2016 The Abbott staff ply Gregory with parting gifts for Janine; Jacob gives her a framed photo of himself, Melissa supplies mace, Barbara includes a handwritten card, and Mr. Johnson graciously offers a strand from his favorite mop. Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mace 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mace.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Old French mascie, macis, from Medieval Latin macis

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *mattia; akin to Latin mateola mallet

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1967, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mace was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near mace

Cite this Entry

“Mace.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mace. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

mace

1 of 2 noun
1
: a heavy spiked club used as a weapon in the Middle Ages
2
: an ornamental staff carried as a symbol of authority

mace

2 of 2 noun
: a spice made from the dried outer covering of the nutmeg
Etymology

Noun

Middle English mace "a heavy spiked club," from early French mace (same meaning); probably of Latin origin

Noun

Middle English mace "the spice mace," from early French mascie, macis (same meaning), from Latin macis "an East Indian spice"

Medical Definition

Mace

trademark
used for a temporarily disabling liquid that when sprayed in the face of a person causes tears, dizziness, immobilization, and sometimes nausea

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