"heavy metal weapon, often with a spiked head," late 13c., from Old French mace "a club, scepter" (Modern French masse), from Vulgar Latin *mattea (source also of Italian mazza, Spanish maza "mace"), from Latin mateola (in Late Latin also matteola) "a kind of mallet." The Latin word perhaps is cognate with Sanskrit matyam "harrow, club," Old Church Slavonic motyka "mattock," Old High German medela "plow" [Klein]. As a symbol of authority or office from mid-15c.
mace (n.2)
"spice made from dry outer husk of nutmeg," late 14c., from Old French macis (in English taken as a plural and stripped of its -s), of uncertain origin, sometimes said to be a scribal error for Latin macir, the name of a red spicy bark from India, but OED finds this etymology unlikely.
Mace (n.3)
chemical spray originally used in riot control, 1966, technically Chemical Mace, a proprietary name (General Ordnance Equipment Corp, Pittsburgh, Pa.), probably so called for its use as a weapon, in reference to mace (1). The verb is first attested 1968. Related: Maced; macing.
双语例句
1. Mace still remembers the pitiful wailing of the trapped and the wounded.
梅斯依然还记得那些被困者和受伤者的令人同情的哀号.
来自柯林斯例句
2. The sword and mace were favourite weapons for hand - to - hand fighting .
剑和狼牙棒是 肉搏战 的最佳武器.
来自《简明英汉词典》
3. In - hospital MACE developed in 2 cases ( 4.7 % ), including 1 case of TLR ( 2.3 % ) and 1 death ( 2.3 % ).