# MAL

/ˈmæɫ/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/mal
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. a surfboard

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

a long surfboard with a rounded front, used for a smooth style of surfing.

For teachers: a longboard surfboard, typically over nine feet in length with a rounded nose; a clipping of 'Malibu'.

- He carried his mal down to the beach to catch the morning waves.
- The veteran surfer preferred his classic mal for its stability and glide in the smaller summer swells.

### 2. an ankle bone

noun · CEFR C2 · Informal · Technical

a short name for the bony part that sticks out on the side of your ankle.

For teachers: a colloquial abbreviation for the malleolus, the bony prominence on either side of the human ankle.

- The athlete felt a sharp pain in his lateral mal after the fall.
- The radiologist noted a hairline fracture near the medial mal, likely caused by the sudden twisting motion during the match.

### 3. a person's name

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a short way of saying names like Malcolm or Mallory.

For teachers: a hypocorism or shortened form of various given names, most commonly Malcolm or Mallory.

- Everyone at the office calls him Mal instead of Malcolm.
- Mal was recently promoted to senior partner, a testament to his decades of dedication to the firm.

## Examples

- She felt a deep sense of mal about the news.
- The team felt a growing mal about the project's direction after the latest budget cuts.
- A pervasive mal settled over the household, a quiet anxiety that no one could name but everyone felt in the heavy silence between meals.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.