What does mallei mean?
Mallei is the plural of malleus, the name for the small hammer-shaped bone in the middle ear. Humans have two mallei, one in each ear, and they help transmit sound vibrations from the eardrum to the adjoining incus and stapes. The word is primarily used in anatomy, medicine, and comparative studies of the ear. In most contexts, speakers may use the singular malleus when discussing one bone and the plural mallei when referring to the pair. Because the form ends in -i, it can initially seem unfamiliar, but it follows the regular Latin plural pattern of malleus, whose plural is mallei.
noun (plural)The plural form of malleus, referring to the small hammer-shaped bones of the middle ear in the skull.
- The plural of malleus, used anatomically for the paired hammer-shaped bones of the middle ear.
"The mallei transmit sound vibrations from the eardrum to the stapes."
"The mallei sit between the eardrums and the incudes."
"Sound vibrations travel through the mallei before reaching the stapes."
Mallei is the standard Latin-derived plural of malleus and is used especially in anatomical descriptions of the middle ear.
"The two mallei are located in the middle-ear cavities."
The mallei are the tiny hammer-shaped bones that help carry sound from the eardrum to the inner ear.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of mallei
Mallei comes from Latin malleus, meaning “hammer.” The anatomical term refers to the resemblance between the ear bone and a small hammer. Latin malleus has the plural mallei, which was adopted directly into English anatomical terminology.
How mallei is actually used
This is chiefly an anatomical plural and is less common in general speech than the singular malleus.
Easily confused with mallei
Malleus is the singular name for one of the middle-ear bones, while mallei is the plural form referring to both such bones.