A prefix in composition denoting ill, or evil, F. male, adv., fr. malus, bad, ill. In some words it has the form male-, as in malediction, malevolent. See Malice. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The form male- is chiefly used in cases where the &eitalic_;, either alone or with other letters, is pronounced as a separate syllable, as in malediction, malefactor, maleficent, etc. Where this is not the case, as in malfeasance or male-feasance, malformation or male-formation, etc., as also where the word to which it is prefixed commences with a vowel, as in maladministration, etc., the form mal is to be preferred, and is the one commonly employed. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl.; pl. of Malum. [ L. ] Evils; wrongs; offenses against right and law. [ 1913 Webster ]

Mala in se [ L. ] (Law), offenses which are such from their own nature, at common law, irrespective of statute. --
Mala prohibita [ L. ] (Law), offenses prohibited by statute, as distinguished from mala in se, which are offenses at common law. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A region in the western part of the Peninsula of India, between the mountains and the sea. [ 1913 Webster ]

Malabar nut (Bot.), the seed of an East Indian acanthaceous shrub, the Adhatoda Vasica, sometimes used medicinally. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The reddish or black juice or resin from certain trees of the genus Pterocarpus, used in medicine and tanning etc.
Syn. -- East India kino, kino gum. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

prop. n. A natural family of short-headed marine fishes which are often brightly colored.
Syn. -- family Malacanthidae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. See Melocoton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A town and district upon the seacoast of the Malay Peninsula. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.), A walking cane made from the stem of a species of palm of the genus Calamus (Calamus Scipionum), and of a brown color, often mottled. The plant is a native of Cochin China, Sumatra, and Malays. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Fr. Gr. mala`chh a mallow, from its resembling the green color of the leaf of mallows: cf. F. malachite. Cf. Mallow. ] (Min.) Native hydrous carbonate of copper, usually occurring in green mammillary masses with concentric fibrous structure. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Green malachite, or malachite proper, admits of a high polish, and is sometimes used for ornamental work. Blue malachite, or azurite, is a related species of a deep blue color. [ 1913 Webster ]

Malachite green. See Emerald green, under Green, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Malacissation. ] Softening; relaxing. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]