Male (māl) adjective [ Latin malus . See Malice .] Evil; wicked; bad. [ Obsolete] Marston.

Male noun Same as Mail , a bag. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Male adjective [ French mâle , Old French masle , mascle , from Latin masculus male, masculine, dim. of mas a male; possibly akin to English man . Confer Masculine , Marry , transitive verb ]
1. Of or pertaining to the sex that begets or procreates young, or (in a wider sense) to the sex that produces spermatozoa, by which the ova are fertilized; not female; as, male organs.

2. (Botany) Capable of producing fertilization, but not of bearing fruit; -- said of stamens and antheridia, and of the plants, or parts of plants, which bear them.

3. Suitable to the male sex; characteristic or suggestive of a male; masculine; as, male courage.

4. Consisting of males; as, a male choir.

5. (Mech.) Adapted for entering another corresponding piece (the female piece) which is hollow and which it fits; as, a male gauge, for gauging the size or shape of a hole; a male screw, etc.

Male berry (Botany) , a kind of coffee. See Pea berry . -- Male fern (Botany) , a fern of the genus Aspidium ( A. Filixmas ), used in medicine as an anthelmintic, esp. against the tapeworm. Aspidium marginale in America, and A. athamanticum in South Africa, are used as good substitutes for the male fern in medical practice. See Female fern , under Female . -- Male rhyme , a rhyme in which only the last syllables agree, as laid , afraid , dismayed . See Female rhyme , under Female . - - Male screw (Mech.) , a screw having threads upon its exterior which enter the grooves upon the inside of a corresponding nut or female screw. -- Male thread , the thread of a male screw.

Male noun
1. An animal of the male sex.

2. (Botany) A plant bearing only staminate flowers.

Male- (măl- or măle-). See Mal- .

Male-odor noun See Malodor .

Male-spirited adjective Having the spirit of a male; vigorous; courageous. [ R.] B. Jonson.

Maleadministration (măl`ăd*mĭn`ĭs*trā"shŭn) noun Maladministration.

Maleate noun A salt of maleic acid.

Malebranchism noun The philosophical system of Malebranche, an eminent French metaphysician. The fundamental doctrine of his system is that the mind can not have knowledge of anything external to itself except in its relation to God.

Maleconformation noun Malconformation.

Malecontent adjective Malcontent.

Maledicency noun [ Latin maledicentia . See Maledicent .] Evil speaking. [ Obsolete] Atterbury.

Maledicent adjective [ Latin maledicens , present participle of maledicere to speak ill; male ill + dicere to say, speak. See Malice , and Diction .] Speaking reproachfully; slanderous. [ Obsolete] Sir E. Sandys.

Maledict adjective [ Latin maledictus , past participle of maledicere .] Accursed; abominable. [ R.]

Malediction noun [ Latin maledictio : confer French malédiction . See Maledicent .] A proclaiming of evil against some one; a cursing; imprecation; a curse or execration; -- opposed to benediction .

No malediction falls from his tongue.

Longfellow.

Syn. -- Cursing; curse; execration; imprecation; denunciation; anathema. -- Malediction , Curse , Imprecation , Execration . Malediction is the most general term, denoting bitter reproach, or wishes and predictions of evil. Curse implies the desire or threat of evil, declared upon oath or in the most solemn manner. Imprecation is literally the praying down of evil upon a person. Execration is literally a putting under the ban of excommunication, a curse which excludes from the kingdom of God. In ordinary usage, the last three words describe profane swearing, execration being the strongest.

Malefaction noun [ See Malefactor .] A crime; an offense; an evil deed. [ R.] Shak.

Malefactor noun [ Latin , from malefacere to do evil; male ill, evil + facere to do. See Malice , and Fact .]
1. An evil doer; one who commits a crime; one subject to public prosecution and punishment; a criminal.

2. One who does wrong by injuring another, although not a criminal. [ Obsolete] H. Brooke. Fuller.

Syn. -- Evil doer; criminal; culprit; felon; convict.

Malefactress noun A female malefactor. Hawthorne.

Malefeasance noun See Malfeasance .

Malefic adjective [ Latin maleficus : confer French maléfique . See Malefaction .] Doing mischief; causing harm or evil; nefarious; hurtful. [ R.] Chaucer.

Malefice noun [ Latin maleficium : confer French maléfice . See Malefactor .] An evil deed; artifice; enchantment. [ Obsolete]

Maleficence noun [ Latin maleficentia . Confer Malfeasance .] Evil doing, esp. to others.

Maleficent adjective [ See Malefic .] Doing evil to others; harmful; mischievous.

Maleficial adjective Injurious. Fuller.

Maleficiate transitive verb [ Late Latin maleficiatus , past participle of maleficiare to bewitch, from Latin maleficium . See Malefice .] To bewitch; to harm. [ Obsolete] Burton.

Maleficiation noun A bewitching. [ Obsolete]

Maleficience noun [ See Maleficence .] The doing of evil, harm, or mischief.

Maleficient adjective [ See Maleficent .] Doing evil, harm, or mischief.

Maleformation noun See Malformation .

Maleic adjective [ Confer French maléique . See Malic .] (Chemistry) Pertaining to, or designating, an acid of the ethylene series, metameric with fumaric acid and obtained by heating malic acid.

Malengine noun [ Old French malengin ; Latin malus bad, evil + ingenium natural capacity. See Engine .] Evil machination; guile; deceit. [ Obsolete] Gower.

Maleo noun [ From its native name.] (Zoology) A bird of Celebes ( megacephalon maleo ), allied to the brush turkey. It makes mounds in which to lay its eggs.

Malepractice noun See Malpractice .

Malet noun [ French mallette , dim. of malle . See Mail a bag.] A little bag or budget. [ Obsolete] Shelton.

Maletreat transitive verb See Maltreat .

Malevolence noun [ Latin malevolentia . See Malevolent .] The quality or state of being malevolent; evil disposition toward another; inclination to injure others; ill will. See Synonym of Malice .

Malevolent adjective [ Latin malevolens , -entis ; male ill + volens , present participle of velle to be willing or disposed, to wish. See Malice , and Voluntary .] Wishing evil; disposed to injure others; rejoicing in another's misfortune.

Syn. -- Ill-disposed; envious; mischievous; evil-minded; spiteful; malicious; malignant; rancorous.

Malevolently adverb In a malevolent manner.

Malevolous adjective [ Latin malevolus ; from male ill + velle to be disposed.] Malevolent. [ Obsolete] Bp. Warburton.

Malexecution noun [ Mal- + execution .] Bad execution. D. Webster.

Maleyl noun [ Maleic + - yl .] (Chemistry) A hypothetical radical derived from maleic acid.

Malfeasance noun [ French malfaisance , from malfaisant injurious, doing ill; mal ill, evil + faisant doing, present participle of faire to do. See Malice , Feasible , and confer Maleficence .] (Law) The doing of an act which a person ought not to do; evil conduct; an illegal deed. [ Written also malefeasance .]

Malformation noun [ Mal- + formation .] Ill formation; irregular or anomalous formation; abnormal or wrong conformation or structure.

Malgracious adjective [ French malgracieux .] Not graceful; displeasing. [ Obsolete] Gower.

Malgre preposition See Mauger .

Malic adjective [ Latin malum an apple: confer French malique .] (Chemistry) Pertaining to, or obtained from, apples; as, malic acid.

Malic acid , a hydroxy acid obtained as a substance which is sirupy or crystallized with difficulty, and has a strong but pleasant sour taste. It occurs in many fruits, as in green apples, currants, etc. It is levorotatory or dextrorotatory according to the temperature and concentration. An artificial variety is a derivative of succinic acid, but has no action on polarized light, and thus malic acid is a remarkable case of physical isomerism.

Malice (măl"ĭs) noun [ French malice , from Latin malitia , from malus bad, ill, evil, probably orig., dirty, black; confer Greek me`las black, Sanskrit mala dirt. Confer Mauger .]
1. Enmity of heart; malevolence; ill will; a spirit delighting in harm or misfortune to another; a disposition to injure another; a malignant design of evil. "Nor set down aught in malice ." Shak.

Envy, hatred, and malice are three distinct passions of the mind.

Ld. Holt.

2. (Law) Any wicked or mischievous intention of the mind; a depraved inclination to mischief; an intention to vex, annoy, or injure another person, or to do a wrongful act without just cause or cause or excuse; a wanton disregard of the rights or safety of others; willfulness.

Malice aforethought or prepense , malice previously and deliberately entertained.

Syn. -- Spite; ill will; malevolence; grudge; pique; bitterness; animosity; malignity; maliciousness; rancor; virulence. See Spite . -- Malevolence , Malignity , Malignancy . Malice is a stronger word than malevolence , which may imply only a desire that evil may befall another, while malice desires, and perhaps intends, to bring it about. Malignity is intense and deepseated malice . It implies a natural delight in hating and wronging others. One who is malignant must be both malevolent and malicious ; but a man may be malicious without being malignant .

Proud tyrants who maliciously destroy
And ride o'er ruins with malignant joy.

Somerville.

in some connections, malignity seems rather more pertinently applied to a radical depravity of nature, and malignancy to indications of this depravity, in temper and conduct in particular instances.

Cogan.

Malice transitive verb To regard with extreme ill will. [ Obsolete]

Malicho noun [ Spanish malhecho ; mal bad + hecho deed, Latin factum . See Fact .] Mischief. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Malicious adjective [ Of. malicius , French malicieux , from Latin malitiosus . See Malice .]
1. Indulging or exercising malice; harboring ill will or enmity.

I grant him bloody, . . .
Sudden, malicious , smacking of every sin
That has a name.

Shak.

2. Proceeding from hatred or ill will; dictated by malice; as, a malicious report; malicious mischief.

3. (Law) With wicked or mischievous intentions or motives; wrongful and done intentionally without just cause or excuse; as, a malicious act.

Malicious abandonment , the desertion of a wife or husband without just cause. Burrill. -- Malicious mischief (Law) , malicious injury to the property of another; -- an offense at common law. Wharton. -- Malicious prosecution or arrest (Law) , a wanton prosecution or arrest, by regular process in a civil or criminal proceeding, without probable cause. Bouvier.

Syn. -- Ill-disposed; evil-minded; mischievous; envious; malevolent; invidious; spiteful; bitter; malignant; rancorous; malign.

-- Ma*li"cious*ly , adverb -- Ma*li"cious*ness , noun