mallet

noun

mal·​let ˈma-lət 

: a hammer with a typically barrel-shaped head: such as

a

: a tool with a large head for driving another tool or for striking a surface without marring it

b

: a long-handled wooden implement used for striking a ball (as in polo or croquet)

c

: a light hammer with a small rounded or spherical usually padded head used in playing certain musical instruments (such as a vibraphone)

Examples of mallet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

According to police, the 37-year-old woman and her daughters followed the alleged victim into a cafe on the 1100 block of Oak Street, across the street from the Oakland Museum of California, hit her with the mallet, ripped out her hair and took her phone. —Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 30 Oct. 2025

Crush into fine crumbs with a rolling pin or meat mallet. —Ann Taylor Pittman, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2025

Or place in sturdy zipper-style bag and pound with mallet or bottom of a saucepan until coarsely ground. —Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 6 Oct. 2025

That final phase of gravitational wave emission is known as the ringdown phase because of its similarity to what happens to a bell when it’s struck with a mallet, clapper, or a jacquemart. —Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 17 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English maillet, from Anglo-French, diminutive of mail hammer — more at maul

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mallet

• alate
• ballot
• fallot
• palate
• palette
• pallet
• shallot

Kids Definition

mallet

noun

mal·​let ˈmal-ət 

: a hammer usually with a barrel-shaped head: as

a

: one with a large head used for driving a tool (as a chisel) or for striking a surface without damaging it

b

: a club for striking a ball (as in croquet or polo)