Mace vs Shillelagh - What's the difference?
mace | shillelagh | Related terms |
A heavy fighting club.
* 1786', The '''Mace is an ancient weapon, formerly much used by cavalry of all nations, and likewise by ecclesiastics, who in consequence of their tenures, frequently took the field, but were by a canon of the church forbidden to wield the sword. — Francis Grose, ''A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons , page 51.
A ceremonial form of this weapon.
* 1598', I am a king that find thee; and I know 'Tis not the balm, the sceptre, and the ball, The sword, the '''mace , the crown imperial, The intertissued robe of gold and pearl... — William Shakespeare, ''Henvry V , Act IV, Scene I, line 259.
A long baton used by some drum majors to keep time and lead a marching band. If this baton is referred to as a mace, by convention it has a ceremonial often decorative head, which, if of metal, usually is hollow and sometimes intricately worked.
An officer who carries a mace as an emblem of authority.
A knobbed mallet used by curriers in dressing leather to make it supple.
(archaic) A billiard cue.
To hit someone or something with a .
An old money of account in China equal to one tenth of a tael.
An old weight of 57.98 grains.
A spice obtained from the outer layer of the kernel of the fruit of the nutmeg.
* 1610 , William Shakespeare, The Winter's Tale , Act IV, Scene III, line 45.
A common name for some types of tear gas.
By extension, a common name for some types of pepper spray.
By generalization, a name for personal tear gas and pepper spray.
To spray in defense or attack with mace (pepper spray, or, tear gas) using a hand-held device.
(informal) To spray a similar noxious chemical in defense or attack using an available hand-held device such as an aerosol spray can.
* 1989 , Carl Hiaasen, Skin Tight , Ballantine Books, New York, chapter 22:
As nouns the difference between mace and shillelagh
is that mace is a heavy fighting club while shillelagh is a wooden (especially oaken) club ending with a large knob.As a verb mace
is to hit someone or something with a mace.As a proper noun Mace
is alternative case form of lang=en tear gas or pepper spray.mace
English
Etymology 1
(etyl), from (etyl) mace, mache, from ).Noun
(en noun)- (Macaulay)
Verb
See also
* bludgeon * celt * twirling baton * war clubEtymology 2
and (etyl), meaning "a bean".Noun
(en noun)Etymology 3
From (etyl), from re-interpretation of (m) as a plural (compare (m)); ultimately from (etyl) (m) (name of an unidentified spice).Noun
(en noun)- I must have saffron to color the warden pies; mace ; dates, none -- that's out of my note; nutmegs, seven; a race or two of ginger, but that I may beg; four pounds of prunes, and as many of raisins o' th' sun.
Etymology 4
From the name of one brand of the spray, (m).Noun
(en noun)Verb
- When Reynaldo and Willie had burst into Larkey's drug store to confront him, the old man had maced Willie square in the eyes with an aerosol can of spermicidal birth-control foam.