Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Mace
Mace
(mās)
, Noun.
[Jav. & Malay.
mās
, fr. Skr. māsha
a bean.] A money of account in China equal to one tenth of a tael; also, a weight of 57.98 grains.
S. W. Williams.
Mace
,Noun.
[F.
macis
, L. macis
, macir
, Gr. [GREEK]; cf. Skr. makar
anda the nectar or honey of a flower, a fragrant mango.] (Bot.)
A kind of spice; the aril which partly covers nutmegs. See
Nutmeg
. ☞
Red mace
is the aril of Myristica tingens
, and white mace
that of Myristica Otoba
, – East Indian trees of the same genus with the nutmeg tree. Mace
,Noun.
[OF.
mace
, F. masse
, from (assumed) L. matea
, of which the dim. mateola
a kind of mallet or beetle, is found.] 1.
A heavy staff or club of metal; a spiked club; – used as weapon in war before the general use of firearms, especially in the Middle Ages, for breaking metal armor.
Chaucer.
Death with his
mace
petrific . . . smote. Milton.
2.
Hence:
A staff borne by, or carried before, a magistrate as an ensign of his authority.
“Swayed the royal mace.” Wordsworth.
3.
An officer who carries a mace as an emblem of authority; a macebearer.
Macaulay.
4.
A knobbed mallet used by curriers in dressing leather to make it supple.
5.
(Billiards)
A rod for playing billiards, having one end suited to resting on the table and pushed with one hand.
Webster 1828 Edition
Mace
MACE
,Noun.
A leaden mace,
A heavy iron mace.
MACE
,Noun.