mace

mace
mace1
/mays/, n.
1. a clublike armor-breaking weapon of war, often with a flanged or spiked metal head, used chiefly in the Middle Ages.
2. a ceremonial staff carried before or by certain officials as a symbol of office.
3. macebearer.
4. Billiards. a light stick with a flat head, formerly used at times instead of a cue.
[1250-1300; ME < OF (cf. F masse) large mallet < VL *mattea; akin to L matteola kind of mallet; cf. Skt matya harrow]
mace2
/mays/, n.
a spice ground from the layer between a nutmeg shell and its outer husk, resembling nutmeg in flavor.
[1350-1400; ME, back formation from macis (taken as pl.) < MF < L maccis a spice]

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▪ spice
      spice (spice and herb) consisting of the dried aril, or lacy covering, of the nutmeg fruit of Myristica fragrans, a tropical evergreen tree. Mace has a slightly warm taste and a fragrance similar to that of nutmeg. It is used to flavour bakery, meat, and fish dishes; to flavour sauces and vegetables; and in preserving and pickling.

      In the processing of mace, the crimson-coloured aril is removed from the nutmeg that it envelops and is flattened out and dried for 10 to 14 days; its colour changes to pale yellow, orange, or tan. Whole dry mace consists of flat pieces—branched or segmented, smooth, horny, and brittle—about 40 mm (1.6 inches) long.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Mace — Mace, prop. n. [Trademark.] A chemical preparation containing tear gas in a solvent, packaged in the form of a spray, and used to temporarily incapacitate people, such as rioters or criminals, by causing intense eye and skin irritation; also… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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