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mallow

noun
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mal·​low | \ ˈma-(ˌ)lō How to pronounce mallow (audio) \

Definition of mallow

: any of a genus (Malva of the family Malvaceae, the mallow family) of herbs with palmately lobed or dissected leaves, usually showy flowers, and a disk-shaped fruit

Illustration of mallow

Illustration of mallow

Examples of mallow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Through the ranch’s pole gates is a wide meadow of grasses and scarlet globe-mallow flowers, grazing goats, colorful cliffs and sandstone spires. — Alexandra Marvar, Washington Post, "A pilgrimage to the stark desert landscape that inspired painter Georgia O’Keeffe," 15 Nov. 2019 Marsh mallow, or Althea officinalis, is a plant indigenous to Eurasia and Northern Africa. — Jeffrey Miller, Smithsonian, "Let Us Tell You S’more About America’s Favorite Campfire Treat," 29 June 2018 Six years later, the site seethes with life, barely visible trails cutting through rampant sedge and mallow, cow parsley and burdock. — The Economist, "Brexit is reverberating in British literature," 5 July 2018 Today the marshmallow on your s’more contains no marsh mallow sap at all. — Jeffrey Miller, Smithsonian, "Let Us Tell You S’more About America’s Favorite Campfire Treat," 29 June 2018 The molokhia leaves are also known as jute or Jew’s mallow (a bitter green somewhere between spinach and sorrel that can get viscous, similarly to okra, when cooked). — Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit, "This Braised Chicken Soup with Greens Recipe Is PERFECT for Spring," 21 May 2018 In some parts of the Valley, perennial weeds are likely to be white top; in other parts, the predominant weed is mallow (buttonweed), sowthistle or quackgrass. — Margaret Lauterbach, idahostatesman, "Save yourself some work in your garden and with your lawn this year | Idaho Statesman," 2 May 2018 Tree mallow, one of the few flowering shrubs, adds color and a layer of mystery. — Emily Young, latimes.com, "A Pasadena garden mixes fresh and modern design with a rustic style," 13 Apr. 2018 Marsh Mallow Marsh mallow is a beautiful herb that produces attractive pink or white, hollyhock-like flowers for most of the summer. — The Editors Of Organic Life, Good Housekeeping, "10 Herbs That Blossom Into Stunning Flowers," 20 May 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mallow.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of mallow

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for mallow

Middle English malwe, from Old English mealwe, from Latin malva

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Time Traveler for mallow

Time Traveler

The first known use of mallow was before the 12th century

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Statistics for mallow

Last Updated

20 Nov 2019

Cite this Entry

“Mallow.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mallow. Accessed 22 November 2019.

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More Definitions for mallow

mallow

noun
mal·​low | \ ˈma-lō How to pronounce mallow (audio) \

Kids Definition of mallow

: a tall plant with usually large white, rose, or purplish flowers with five petals

More from Merriam-Webster on mallow

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with mallow

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mallow

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