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maul

Pronunciation: /mɔːl/

Definition of maul

[with object]

(of an animal) wound (a person or animal) by scratching and tearing:a man was mauled by a lion at London Zoo
treat (something) savagely or roughly: the body was badly mauled in battle
handle (someone) roughly, especially for sexual gratification:she hated being mauled by macho chauvinist pigs
informal defeat heavily in a game or match:the team were mauled 4-0 by Manchester City
subject to fierce criticism: (as noun mauling)he faces a mauling at next week’s conference
[no object] Rugby take part in a maul: the forwards rucked and mauled to near perfection

1(in rugby union) a loose scrum formed around a player with the ball off the ground. Compare with ruck¹.

Origin:

Middle English (in the sense 'hammer or wooden club', also 'strike with a heavy weapon'): from Old French mail, from Latin malleus 'hammer'

Definition of maul in the US English dictionary

Nearby words