mallet

Everyday

1. A hammer with a big head made of wood, rubber or plastic, used to hit things without damaging them. tree →
2. A long-handled stick used to hit the ball in croquet or polo. tree →
3. (music) A stick with a soft or hard head used to play a xylophone or drum. tree →

In the lessons

In design and technology lessons, a mallet is used to tap wood joints together or put tent pegs in. In sport, croquet and polo players use mallets. In music, xylophone and glockenspiel players use mallets. Safety: hold the mallet firmly and keep fingers clear.

Examples

• Dad used a rubber mallet to knock in the tent pegs. tree →
• The carpenter tapped the joint with a wooden mallet. tree →
• In croquet you hit the ball with a long mallet. tree →
• I played the xylophone with two soft mallets. tree →
• Polo players swing their mallets while riding horses. tree →
• Use the mallet, not a metal hammer, so the wood isn't dented. tree →
• The judge in a cartoon bangs a little mallet called a gavel. tree →
• Keep your fingers away when someone is using the mallet. tree →
• Uncle Remus had a board across his lap, and, armed with a mallet and a shoe-knife, was engaged in making shoe-pegs. tree →

Note

Countable: one mallet, two mallets. Spelling: double l, -et. A judge's small hammer is called a «gavel». Do not confuse with «malt» or «mullet». Not a maths word.