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# maul

verb (maul, mauls, mauled, mauling); noun (a maul, mauls)

«maul» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. To attack and hurt badly with claws and teeth, as a bear or big cat might. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/maul/#m1)
2. To handle something or someone roughly: the toddler mauled the cake. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/maul/#m2)
3. (informal) To beat a team or person very heavily, or to criticise strongly. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/maul/#m3)
4. (noun, rugby) A group of players pushing together around the player holding the ball. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/maul/#m4)
5. (noun) A heavy hammer for splitting wood. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/maul/#m5)

### In the lessons

In news and safety lessons, «mauled by a dog/bear» warns of animal attacks. In sports reports a team that loses badly is «mauled». In rugby, a maul is a set play. Phrases: mauled by, mauled to death (news), rolling maul.

### Examples

- The hiker was mauled by a bear but survived. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/maul/#x1)
- Never tease a dog; it might maul you. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/maul/#x2)
- Stop mauling the bread with your dirty hands! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/maul/#x3)
- Our team got mauled ten-nil. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/maul/#x4)
- The critics mauled the new film. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/maul/#x5)
- The rugby players formed a maul. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/maul/#x6)
- Dad split the logs with a maul. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/maul/#x7)
- The cat mauled my toy mouse. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/maul/#x8)

### Note

Regular verb: mauled. Do not confuse with «mall» (shopping centre), which sounds the same in many accents (homophone in much of the USA). Safety: stay calm and move away slowly from an angry animal; tell an adult.

## In Jewish tradition

Proverbs compares a false witness to a maul, a sword and a sharp arrow. In Jeremiah God calls His people His maul to smash kingdoms.

**Interpretation.** Tradition teaches that false witness does great harm, as much as a weapon. Jeremiah's image shows God using a nation as a tool.

### Examples

- As a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, so is a man that beareth false witness against his neighbour. (Writings PRO.25.18, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/maul/#x1)
- Thou art My maul and weapons of war, and with thee will I shatter the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms; (Prophets JER.51.20, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/maul/#x2)
- A maul is come up before thy face; guard the defences, watch the way, make thy loins strong, fortify thy power mightily! — (Prophets NAM.2.2, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/maul/#x3)

### Note

Regular verb: mauled. Do not confuse with «mall» (shopping centre), which sounds the same in many accents (homophone in much of the USA). Safety: stay calm and move away slowly from an angry animal; tell an adult.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «maul» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/maul/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«maul» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/maul.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «maul» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/maul/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«maul» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/maul.html) on Mova free.