You searched for: “mall
mall
What we now call "a large enclosed building complex containing shops, restaurants, and other businesses and facilities serving the general public" originally came from Pall-Mall Alley; which was an alley used for a 17th century game where players used a mallet to hit a wooden ball through an iron hoop suspended at the end of a long alley and which later became a fashionable promenade (a place for a leisurely walk or stroll).

To clarify the connection between today's malls and the 1674 mall, we should view the malls we have now as "public walking places" (promenades) with The Mall in St. Jame's Park in London which referred to that alley-game mentioned earlier; that is, pall-mall or literally "ball-mallet".

This entry is located in the following unit: malleo-, malle- + (page 1)
mall, maul, maul, moll
mall (MAWL, MAL) (noun)
1. An urban shopping center, often enclosed to protect shoppers from the weather: Going to the mall is one of Jane's favorite things to do on Saturday when she can buy the items she needs for the week.
2. A grassy public park, typically for pedestrian use: Shanna strolled down the mall and enjoyed the beauty of the flowering trees.
maul (MAWL) (noun)
A tool used for cutting or chopping lumber: The hired hand on the farm used a mall to split logs for firewood.
maul (MAWL) (verb)
To injure or to handle roughly: There were reports in the newspaper of attempts by bears to maul and physically harm hikers.
moll (MAHL) (noun)
A woman companion of a gunman or gangster: The crook's moll told the police where the gang was hiding.

The gangster's moll decided to go to the mall for the New Year's sales; however, she immediately went back home because she noticed that the mall was packed with so many people and she didn't want anyone to maul her during the excitement of the sales.

Word Entries containing the term: “mall
Once you've seen one shopping center, you've seen a mall.
This entry is located in the following unit: paraprosdokian, paraprosdokia (page 5)