different between impair vs maul

English

Alternative forms

• empair (obsolete, rare)

Etymology

From Middle English impairen, empeiren, from Old French empeirier, variant of empirier (“to worsen”), from Vulgar Latin *imp?i?r?, from im- + Late Latin p?i?r? (“to make worse”), from peior (“worse”), comparative of malus (“bad”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m?p??/
• Rhymes: -??(?)

Verb

impair (third-person singular simple present impairs, present participle impairing, simple past and past participle impaired)

1. (transitive) To weaken; to affect negatively; to have a diminishing effect on.
2. (intransitive, archaic) To grow worse; to deteriorate.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Milton to this entry?)

Synonyms

• blunt, diminish, hurt, lessen, mar, reduce, weaken, worsen

Derived terms

• impairment

Translations

Adjective

impair (comparative more impair, superlative most impair)

1. (obsolete) Not fit or appropriate; unsuitable.

Further reading

• impair in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• impair in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• impair at OneLook Dictionary Search

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin imp?r, equivalent to im- +? pair.

Adjective

impair (feminine singular impaire, masculine plural impairs, feminine plural impaires)

1. odd (of a number)

   Antonym: pair

Derived terms

• fonction impaire
• nombre impair

References

• “impair” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Antonyms

• pair

Anagrams

• primai

English

Etymology

From Middle English malle (“mace, maul”), from Anglo-Norman mail, from Old French mail, from Latin malleus (“hammer”). Doublet of malleus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /m??l/
• Rhymes: -??l
• Homophone: mall (one pronunciation)
• Homophone: moll (some accents)

Noun

maul (plural mauls)

1. A heavy long-handled hammer, used for splitting logs by driving a wedge into them, or in combat.
2. (rugby) A situation where the player carrying the ball, who must be on his feet, is held by one or more opponents, and one or more of the ball carrier's team mates bind onto the ball carrier.

Synonyms

• (weapon): club, mace

Hyponyms

• (long-handled hammer): post maul, spike maul, splitting maul
• (rugby): rolling maul

Translations

See also

• ruck
• scrum

Verb

maul (third-person singular simple present mauls, present participle mauling, simple past and past participle mauled)

1. To handle someone or something in a rough way.
2. To savage; to cause serious physical wounds (usually used of an animal).

3. (figuratively) To criticise harshly.

4. (transitive) To beat with the heavy hammer called a maul.

Translations

Related terms

• mall
• mallet

References

• maul at OneLook Dictionary Search
• maul in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• Lamu, alum, luma, malu, mula

Cimbrian

Noun

maul n

1. mouth

References

• “maul” in Patuzzi, Umberto, ed., (2013) Ünsarne Börtar [Our Words], Luserna, Italy: Comitato unitario delle isole linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien

Estonian

Noun

maul

1. adessive singular of magu

Norwegian Nynorsk

Verb

maul

1. imperative of maule