Malleifera 
Malleifera (mal-e-if'e-ra), n. pi. [NL., neut. 
pi. of malleifer: see "malleiferous.] A super- 
class of craniate Vertebrata, or skulled verte- 
brates, distinguished by the development of 
the malleus as a bone of the ear, and by the di- 
rect articulation of the lower jaw to the skull. 
It corresponds to the class Mammalia, and con- 
trasts with Quadratifera and Lyrifera. 
malleiferous (mal-e-if'e-rus), a. [< NL. mal- 
leifer, < L. malleus, a hammer, a mall, + ferrc, 
= E. bear 1 .'] Having a distinct malleus; of or 
pertaining to the Malleifera; mammalian. 
malleiform (mal'l-i-form), a. [< L. malleus, 
a hammer, a mall, + forma, form.] In zool., 
hammer-shaped. 
In some species of Polynoe the parappdia give rise, at 
corresponding points, to large, richly ciliated, malleiform 
tubercles. Huxley, Anat. Invert., p. 210. 
mallemaroking (mare-ma-r6''king), . [Ver- 
bal n. of *mallemaroke, an unrecorded verb, 
perhaps equiv. to 'mallemoke, lit. act like the 
mallemoke or mallemuck, < mallemoke, malle- 
muck, the fulmar petrel : see mallemuck. Cf. 
D. mallemolen, carousal.] Naut., the visiting 
and carousing of seamen in the Greenland 
ships. Sailor's Word-took. 
mallemuck (mal'e-muk), n. [Also mallemock, 
mallemoke, mollym'ock,mollymawk, malmock, mal- 
duck, malmarsh, etc.; < G. mallemucke = D. mal- 
lemugge, a mallemuck, explained, from the D., 
as 'foolish fly' or 'fool flier,' as if < D. mallen, 
fool, dally, + mug, MD. mugge, a 'fly,' in allu- 
sion to its heedless habits ; but the D. word is 
not open to this explanation. D. mug means 
rather ' a gnat ' (= E. midge), and cannot refer 
to the 'flying' of a bird. The name is prob. of 
northern origin.] The fulmar petrel, Fulmarus 
glacialis : also extended to some related birds, 
as albatrosses. See cut under fulmar 2 . Also 
called malmarsh. 
mallenders (mal'en-derz), n.pl. Same as mal- 
anders. 
malleolar (mal'e-6-lar), a. [< malleolus + -ar a .] 
1. Having the character of a malleolus: as, the 
malleolar process of the tibia. 2. Of or per- 
taining to either malleolus: as, a malleolar ar- 
tery. 
malleolus (ma-le'o-lus), n.; pi. malleoli (-11). 
[NL., < L. malleolus, a small hammer, dim. of 
malleus, a hammer: see malleus."] 1. In anat., 
a bony protuberance on either side of the 
ankle. The two together contribute to the stability of 
the ankle-joint, by locking the astragalus so as to prevent 
lateral and rotatory movements. In man the outer malle- 
olus is formed by the fibula, the inner by the tibia ; and each 
forms a sort of pulley or trochlea around which wind the 
tendons of important extensor muscles of the foot. The 
malleoli are little distinguished in most animals, owing to 
the different set of the foot upon the leg, or the different 
configuration of the parts. When, as often occurs, the 
fibula does not reach the ankle, the outer malleolus is 
wanting unless formed by the tibia. In birds the condyles 
of the tibia, constituted by ankylosis of proximal tarsal 
bones, take the name and place of malleoli. 
2. In hot., a layer ; a shoot bent into the ground 
and half divided at the bend, whence it emits 
roots. Lindley. 3. [cop.] In conch., a genus of 
bivalve shells. J. E. Gray, 1847 Inner malleo- 
lus, the malleolar process of the tibia, articulating with the 
inner side of the astragalus, having behind it the tendons 
of the tibialis posticus and flexor longus digitorum. Out- 
er malleolus, the enlarged lower end of the fibula, ar- 
ticulating with the outer side of the astragalus, having 
behind it the tendons of the peroneus longus and pero- 
neus brevis. 
malleoramate (mal"e-o-ra'mat), a. [< L. mal- 
leus, a hammer, + famus, a branch: see ra- 
mate.~\ In rotifers, having mallei fastened by 
unci to rami, as in the Melicertidce, Triarthridce, 
Pterodinidce, and Pedalionidw. 
mallet (mal'et), n. [< OF. mallet, maillet, F. 
maillet (= Pr. malhet = It. maglietto), a wooden 
hammer, mallet, dim. of mal, mail, a hammer : 
see mall 1 .] 1. A small beetle or wooden ham- 
mer used by carpenters, stonecutters, printers, 
etc., chiefly for driving another tool, as a chisel, 
or the like. It is wielded with one hand, while 
the heavier mall requires the use of both hands. 
2. The wooden hammer used to strike the 
balls in the game of croquet-Automatic mallet. 
Same as dental hammer (which see, under hammer*). 
Dental mallet, (a.) A light hammer of wood or metal 
used by dentists for striking the plugger in the operation 
of filling teeth. It is now superseded in great part by 
various mechanical contrivances, such as the dental ham- 
mer or plugger and the electric plugger. (6) A dental 
hammer or plugger. See hammerl. 
mallet-flower (mal'et-flou"er), n. Any plant of 
the genus Tupistra. 
malleus (mal'e-us), n.; pi. mallei (-i). [NL., < 
L. malleus, a hammer, a mall: see mall 1 .] 1. 
In anat., the proximal element of Meckel's car- 
3596 
tilage, in any way distinguished from the rest 
of the mandibular arch. In man and other mam- 
mals the malleus is separately ossified, and is the outer 
one of the three bonelets or ossicles of the ear lodged in 
the cavity of the tympanum, connected with the ear-drum 
or tympanic membrane, and movably articulated with the 
incus. It is named from its hammer-like shape in man, 
having a head, neck, and handle or short process, together 
with a processus gracilis, which lies in the Glaserian fis- 
sure. As one of the ossicula auditus, the malleus subserves 
the function of hearing in mammals. In birds, and many 
other vertebrates below mammals, the malleus has a very 
different office, that of forming part of the suspensorium 
of the lower jaw, which is its true morphological char- 
acter. Its specialization in Mammalia is peculiar to that 
class. See Malleifera, and cuts under hyoid, ear, and tym- 
panic. 
2. In ickth., one of the Weberian ossicles which 
form a chain between the air-bladder and the 
auditory apparatus in the skull of plectospondy- 
lous and nematognathous fishes. It is homolo- 
gous with the hemapophysis of the third one of 
the coalesced anterior vertebrae. 3. In roti- 
fers, one of the paired calcareous structures 
within the pharynx. In the typical forms it is a ham- 
mer-like body, consisting of an upper part or head, called 
the incus, and a lower part or handle, named the manu- 
liriiuii, but in other forms the distinction disappears. 
4. leap.] In conch., a genus of pearl-oysters of 
the family Aviculidte, founded by Lamarck in 
1799 ; the hammer-shells. They have a long-winged 
hinge at right angles with the length of the valve, giving 
a hammer-like shape, whence the name. Young shells 
are like those of Avicula or wing-shells, and have a byssal 
notch; the hammer shape is gradually acquired with age. 
M. mdgaris, the hammer-oyster, inhabits Eastern seas. 
See cut under hammer-shell. 
5. Same as war-hammer. 
mallinders (mal'in-derz), n. pi. Same as mal- 
anders. 
Mallophaga (ma-lof 'a-gS), n. pi. [NL., neut. 
p\.ofiallophagus: see mallophagous.] A group 
of ametabolous apterous parasitic insects with 
mandibulate mouth-parts and coalesced meso- 
metathprax, jointed antennae and palpi, supe- 
rior spiracles, and short stout legs ending in 
hooked claws. They are known as bird-lice, and are 
very numerous and diversiform. By some they are re- 
garded as llemiptera degraded and distorted by parasit- 
ism, and placed with the true lice in a group Parasita or 
Anoplura; by others they are held to constitute a super- 
family or suborder of Pseudoneuropttra, and by others 
again a suborder of Corrodentia. See lousei. 
mallophagan (ma-lof 'a-gan), a. andn. [< NL. 
Mallopliaya + -an.] I. a. Same as mallophagous. 
II. v. A louse of the group Mallophaga. 
Mallophagidae (mal-o-faj'i-de), n. pi. [NL., < 
Mallophaga + -idas.] The mallophagous in- 
sects regarded as a family of Pseudoneuroptera, 
and corresponding to the suborder Mallophaga. 
They differ from true lice in having mandibulate instead 
of suctorial mouth-parts, and in other respects. Most of 
them live on the plumage of birds, whence the name bird- 
lice for the whole of them; but some also infest the pel- 
age of mammals. Some are great pests of the poultry- 
yard and aviary. The genera are numerous, including 
Nirmus, Trichodectes, and Goniod&t. 
mallophagous (ma-lof'a-gus), a. [< NL. mal- 
lophagus, < Gr. /wr/l/tcif, a lock of wool, + fayelv, 
eat.] In entom. : (a) Devouring feathers or hairs 
and dried skins, as many coleopterous larvee. 
(6) Pertaining to the Mallophaga. Also mallo- 
phagan. 
Mallorquin (ma-16r'kin), n. [< Sp. Mallorquin, 
< Mallorca, Majorca: see Majorean."] Same as 
Majorcan. 
Mallotus (ma-16'tus), n. [NL. (Loureiro, 1790), 
< Gr. fiaAAur6f, furnished with wool, fleecy, < 
(LGr.)/ia/U0w, clothe with wool, < fuiAUc,, wool.] 
1. A genus of plants of the natural order EH- 
phorbiacece, tribe Crotonea?, and subtribe Acaly- 
phece, characterized by the oblong parallel an- 
ther-cells and the numerous (rarely less than 
fifteen) stamens. The flowers are apetalous, either 
dioecious or monoecious. The plants are trees or shrubs 
with generally alternate leaves. The male flowers are 
generally small, on short pedicels in heads along a rachis; 
the pistillate ones fewer, on long or short pedicels. There 
are about 70 species, numerous in eastern India, the Malay 
archipelago, and Australia, with a few in Africa. One 
species, M. Philippinensis, yields the dyestuff known as 
kamita, 
2. In ichth. (Cuvier, 1829), a genus of fishes 
of the family Argentinian, formerly placed in 
Salmonidee, of which the male has a broad lon- 
gitudinal villous or fleecy band of scales dif- 
ferentiated from the rest; the caplins. The 
type is Mallotus villosus, the caplin. See cut 
under eaplin 2 . 
mallow (mal'6), n. [< ME. malowe, malue, < AS. 
malice, mealwe = D. maluwe = G. malve = OF. 
malve, F. mauve = Pr. Sp. Pg. It. malva, < L. 
malva, prob., with some alteration (of. L. ma- 
lope, mentioned by Pliny as one Gr. form) of the 
form later used as Gr., malache (also moloche), 
< Gr. /udaxv, also [toAoxr/ (later ^dAj3a, /i<iA/3af, 
malm 
after L.), mallow, appar. so called from its 
emollient properties, or perhaps from its soft, 
downy leaves, < paUaoeiv, soften, < ,ua/laK<5f, 
Branch of Mallow (Malva rotundifolia], with flowers and fruits. 
a, a flower ; A, the fruit ; c, one of the carpels. 
soft.] Any plant of the genus Malva, or of the 
order Malvacew, the mallow family. 
Take malues with alle the rotes, and sethe thame in wa- 
ter, and wasche thi hevede therwith. 
MS. Lincoln A. i. 17, f. 282. (Halliwell.) 
Nowe malowe is sowe, and myntes plannte or roote. 
Falladiia, Husbondrie (E. E. T. S.), p. 84. 
Common mallow, in England, Malva sylvestris; in Amer- 
ica, sometimes, M. rotundifolia. Country mallow, the 
common mallow. Curled mallow, M. cnspa, in allusion 
to the leaves. Dwarf mallow, M. rotundifolia, low as 
compared with M. syloestris. False mallow, a plant of 
the genus Malvastrum. Glade- mallow, a plant of the 
genus Napcea. Globe mallow, a plant of the genus 
Sphceralcea. Indian mallow, (a) In America, Abutilon 
Avicennce, introduced from India. Also called velvelleaf. 
See American jute, under jute, (b) In England, a plant 
of either of the genera Sida and Urena. Jews' mal- 
low. See Jeu'ff-mattmv. Marsh mallow. See marsh- 
mallow. Musk-mallow, Malva moschata, so named 
from the scent of its foliage. Rose-mallow, the genus 
Hibiscus, especially //. Moscheutos, the swamp rose-mal- 
low. Tree mallow, Lavatera arborea. Venice mal- 
lOW, Hibiscus Trionum, the bladder-ketmia. See cheese- 
cake, S, docW, 2. 
mallow-rose (mal'6-roz), n. Same as rose- 
mallow (which see, under mallow). 
mallowwort (mal'o-wert), n. Any plant of the 
mallow family, Malvaceee. 
malls (malz), . pi. [A contr. of measles (for- 
meT\y masels, etc.).] The measles. [Prov. Eng.] 
mallum, mallus (mal'iim, -us), n. [ML., of 
OTeut. origin ; cf . Goth, mil, time, point, mark, 
writing, = AS. mail, time, mark, etc. : see meal'*.] 
Among the ancient Franks, a court correspond- 
ing to the hundred court among the Anglo- 
Saxons. 
The ordinary court of justice is the mallus or court of 
the hundred. Stubbs, Const. Hist., 25. 
malm, maum (mam, mam), n. and a. [Also 
maulm, mawm; < ME. malm, < AS. niealm, sand, 
= OS. melm, dust, = OHG. MHG. melm, dust, G. 
(dial.) malm, something ground, also in tech- 
nical use, = Icel. mdlmr, sand (in local names), 
usually ore, metal, = Norw. malm, sand, ore, 
= Sw. malm, sand (in local names), = Dan. 
malm, ore, = Goth, malma, sand ; with formative 
-m, from the verb represented by OHG. malan 
= Icel. mala = Goth, malan, grind: see meal 1 , 
from the same verb. Hence maum, mawm, 
i>.] I. n. 1. Earth containing a considerable 
quantity of chalk in fine particles; a calca- 
reous loam, constituting in the southeastern 
counties of England a soil especially suited 
for the growth of hops ; a kind of earth suit- 
able for making the best quality of brick with- 
out any addition. The brickmakers in the vicinity 
of London divide the brick-earth of that region into 
strong clay, mild clay (or loam), and malm. Artificial 
malm is a mixture imitating the natural earth. See malm 
brick, below. 
To the north-west, north, and east of the village [of Sel- 
borne] is a range of fair enclosures, consisting of what is 
called a white malm, a sort of rotten or rubble stone, 
which, when turned up to the frost and rain, moulders to 
pieces, and becomes manure to itself. 
Gilbert White, Nat. Ilist. Selborne (ed. BohnX p. IB. 
2. [<;>.] The name used in Germany, and 
frequently by geologists writing in English on 
the geology of that country, for the uppermost 
of the three divisions of the Jurassic series, all 
of which at an early day received English pro- 
vincial names, namely Lias, Dogger, and Malm. 
