[mall] var of maul
[2]mall n [short for obs. pall-mall mallet used in pall-mall] (1644) 1: an alley used for pall-mall
2. [The Mall, promenade in London, orig. a pall-mall alley] a: a usu. public area often set with shade trees and designed as a promenade or as a pedestrian walk b: a usu. paved or grassy strip between two roadways 3 a: an urban shopping area featuring a variety of shops surrounding a usu. open-air concourse reserved for pedestrian traffic b: a usu. large suburban building or group of buildings containing various shops with associated passageways