ˈmalēəs noun
Etymology: New Latin, from Latin, hammer
1. plural mal·lei -ēˌī
a. : the outermost of the three auditory ossicles of mammals consisting of a head, neck, short process, long process, and handle, the short process and handle being fastened to the tympanic membrane, and the head articulating with the head of the incus — see ear illustration
b. : one of the hard lateral pieces of the mastax of rotifers
c. : one of the middle pair of Weberian ossicles in certain fishes
2. capitalized : a genus of bivalve mollusks (family Pteriidae) containing the typical hammer shells
3. -es
[New Latin, from Late Latin, a disease of animals, probably from Latin, hammer]
: glanders