means A hammer-like tool with a large, usually wooden or rubber head, used to strike chisels, drive stakes, or hit balls without damaging them.

from From Old French 'maillet,' a diminutive of 'mail' meaning a hammer or maul, which traces back to Latin 'malleus,' simply 'hammer.' That same Latin root swings through 'malleable' — literally 'able to be hammered into shape' — and quietly haunts the word 'maul,' its rougher, two-handed sibling.