The word "maza" refers to a heavy, solid object that can serve as a tool for striking or pounding. It can also denote a weapon or implement similar to a club. In different contexts, it can be a mallet used in carpentry or a pestle used in grinding substances in a mortar. The word is widely used in both oral and written forms, though it may appear more frequently in literary or technical contexts depending on the domain.
The mallet was used to break the stone at the construction site.
En la cocina, necesitamos una maza para aplastar los ingredientes.
In the kitchen, we need a pestle to crush the ingredients.
El guerrero levantó su maza antes de entrar en batalla.
The word "maza" is less commonly featured in idiomatic expressions compared to more frequently used nouns, yet it can still appear in colloquial contexts. Here are some expressions and their usages:
The player hit with the mallet during the game and scored an impressive goal.
Más pesado que una maza (literally, "heavier than a mallet"):
The work they left me is heavier than a mallet.
No dar la maza a alguien (to not let someone off easy):
I’m not going to let my brother off easy; he needs to learn from his mistakes.
Maza de guerra (warlike):
The word "maza" comes from the Latin "mānsus", meaning "to handle", which evolved into the Vulgar Latin term māza. Its contextual meaning, referring to tools for striking or pounding, has remained consistent throughout its evolution.
Punzón (punch, in certain contexts)
Antonyms:
This provides a comprehensive overview of the word "maza" in various contexts within the Spanish language.