noun
maul
A heavy hammer used for splitting or driving.
He split the log with a heavy maul.
Etymology
Latin malleus means hammer. The modern maul preserves that tool name for a particularly heavy hammer used to drive or split material.
More examples
- The maul’s handle needed replacing.
- She drove the stake into the ground with a maul.
- A steel maul lay beside the woodpile.
Forms
maul · mauls
Similar words
- mallet
- A mallet is a hammer with a large head, often wooden or rubber; a maul is typically heavier and used for forceful work.
- sledgehammer
- A sledgehammer is a heavy striking tool; a splitting maul combines weight with a wedge-shaped head.