mallow

noun

mal·​low ˈma-(ˌ)lō How to pronounce mallow (audio)
: any of a genus (Malva of the family Malvaceae, the mallow family) of herbs with palmately lobed or dissected leaves, usually showy flowers, and a disk-shaped fruit

Illustration of mallow

Illustration of mallow

Examples of mallow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Today’s Wordle Etymology The word mauve comes from the French term for the mallow plant (malva in Latin), whose flowers have a similar pale purple color. Erik Kain, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024 The primary threat to the mallow is mining, but its habitat is also affected by grazing, human activity, climate change and non-native grasses. Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 18 Nov. 2024 Guez had intended to dry the root, stem, and leaves of the mallow plants between sheets of white pressing paper, like botanical specimens, but at the last minute decided to freeze the process at the fragile moment before a living plant becomes history. Karen Chernick, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2019 In the kitchen, his fridge and pantry were stocked with esoteric ingredients: a cactus glaze, cold pickled desert mallow shrub, prickly pear sambal, bee pollen shoyu, mesquite sap. Jen Murphy, Outside Online, 16 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mallow 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English malwe, from Old English mealwe, from Latin malva

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mallow was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near mallow

Cite this Entry

“Mallow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mallow. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

mallow

noun
mal·​low ˈmal-ō How to pronounce mallow (audio)
: any of a group of herbs with lobed leaves, usually showy flowers, and a disk-shaped fruit

More from Merriam-Webster on mallow

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