n.
Pronunciation: ' mo ̇ l, esp Brit & for 1 ' mal
Function: noun
Etymology: short for obsolete pall-mall mallet used in pall-mall
Date: 1644
1 : an alley used for pall-mall
2 [The Mall, promenade in London, orig. a pall-mall alley] a : a usually public area often set with shade trees and designed as a promenade or as a pedestrian walk b : a usually paved or grassy strip between two roadways
3 a : an urban shopping area featuring a variety of shops surrounding a usually open-air concourse reserved for pedestrian traffic b : a usually large suburban building or group of buildings containing various shops with associated passageways