a heavy two-handed hammer suitable for driving piles, wedges, etc
4. rugby
a contest between the two packs of forwards to gain control of the ball when it is held by a standing player
Compare ruck1 (sense 3)
bemaul in American English
(bɪˈmɔl)
transitive verb
to maul severely
Word origin
[1610–20; be- + maul]This word is first recorded in the period 1610–20. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: cult, cultivate, institutional, integration, objectivebe- is a native English prefix formerly used in the formation of verbs. Other words thatuse the affix be- include: become, bedaub, befriend, besiege