n.
Pronunciation: ' ma-l ē - ə s
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural mal · lei \ -l ē - ˌ ī , -l ē - ˌ ē \
Etymology: New Latin, from Latin, hammer
Date: 1669
: the outermost of a chain of three small bones of the mammalian middle ear ― called also hammer ― see EAR illustration