1. A hand tool consisting of a handle with a head of metal or other heavy rigid material that is attached at a right angle, used for striking or pounding.

2. A tool or device similar in function or action to this striking tool, as:

a. The part of a gunlock that hits the primer or firing pin or explodes the percussion cap and causes the gun to fire.

b. Music One of the padded wooden pieces of a piano that strikes the strings.

c. A part of an apparatus that strikes a gong or bell, as in a clock.

3. Anatomy See malleus.

4. Sports A metal ball weighing 16 pounds (7.2 kilograms) and having a long wire or wooden handle by which it is thrown for distance in track-and-field competition.

5. A small mallet used by auctioneers.