Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A shapeless piece; a chunk; a fragment.
  • To tear in pieces; maul: mangle; mumble.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun obsolete A shapeless piece; a fragment.
  • transitive verb obsolete To tear to pieces.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A shapeless piece; a fragment.
  • verb archaic or dialectal, transitive To tear to pieces.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From mam (of obscure origin) +‎ -ock (“diminutive suffix”).

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Examples

Comments

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  • "I saw him run after a gilded butterfly; and when he caught it he let it go again; and after it again; and over and over he comes, and up again; catched it again; or whether his fall enraged him, or how 'twas, he did so set his teeth and tear it; O, I warrant, how he mammocked it!"

    - William Shakespeare, 'The Tragedy of Coriolanus'.

    August 28, 2009