I. ˈmāl noun
Etymology: Middle English male, maille, from Old English māl agreement, pay, from Old Norse māl speech, agreement; akin to Old English mǣl speech
Date: before 12th century
chiefly Scottish : payment , rent
II. noun
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English male, from Anglo-French, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German malaha bag
Date: 13th century
1. chiefly Scottish : bag , wallet
2.
a. : material sent or carried in the postal system
b. : a conveyance that transports mail
c. : e-mail 2a
3. : a nation's postal system — often used in plural
III. transitive verb
Date: 1827
: to send by mail : post
• mail·abil·i·ty ˌmā-lə-ˈbi-lə-tē noun
• mail·able ˈmā-lə-bəl adjective
IV. noun
Etymology: Middle English maille metal link, mail, from Anglo-French, from Latin macula spot, mesh
Date: 14th century
1. : armor made of metal links or sometimes plates
2. : a hard enclosing covering of an animal (as a tortoise)
• mailed ˈmā(ə)ld adjective