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Mallet vs Gavel - What's the difference?

mallet | gavel |

As nouns the difference between mallet and gavel

is that mallet is a type of hammer with a larger than usual head made of wood, rubber or similar non-iron material, used by woodworkers for driving a tool, such as a chisel. A kind of maul while gavel is rent.

As verbs the difference between mallet and gavel

is that mallet is to strike with a mallet while gavel is to use a gavel.

As a proper noun Mallet

is often the malicious party in examples of threat scenarios (synonym: Mallory). See Alice and Bob.

mallet

English

(wikipedia mallet)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A type of hammer with a larger than usual head made of wood, rubber or similar non-iron material, used by woodworkers for driving a tool, such as a chisel. A kind of maul.
  • A weapon resembling the tool, but typically much larger.
  • * 1786 , Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons , page 51:
  • The Mallet of arms, according to the representation of it given by Father Daniel, exactly resembles the wooden instrument of that name, now in use, except in the length of the handle, it was like the hammer of arms, to be used with both hands, indeed it differed very little from that weapon in its form.
  • A light beetle with a long handle used in playing croquet.
  • The stick used to strike the ball in the sport of polo.
  • Derived terms

    * malleter * (cryptography)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To strike with a mallet.
  • gavel

    English

    (wikipedia gavel)

    Etymology 1

    (etyl) gafol.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (historical) Rent.
  • (obsolete) Usury; interest on money.
  • Etymology 2

    Origin obscure. Perhaps alteration of . More at (l).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A wooden mallet, used by a courtroom judge, or by a committee chairman, struck against a sounding block to quieten those present, or by an auctioneer to accept the highest bid at auction.
  • (figuratively) The legal system as a whole.
  • A mason's setting maul.
  • (Knight)

    Verb

  • To use a gavel.
  • Usage notes
    * In US English, the participles are gaveled and gaveling, in British English they are gavelled and gavelling.

    Etymology 3

    (etyl) gavelle, (etyl) javelle, probably diminutive from (etyl) (lena) . Compare heave.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A small heap of grain, not tied up into a bundle.
  • (Wright)

    Etymology 4

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A gable.
  • (Halliwell)
    English terms with unknown etymologies ----