I.the cheek-bone, jaw; in the stricter anatomical sense, the upper bones of the face, between the eyes, nose, and mouth, in which the teeth are fixed (usually in plur.): “maxilla est mobile os. Malae cum toto osse, quod superiores dentes excipit, immobiles sunt,” Cels. 8, 1: “dentium pars maxillae, pars superiori ossi malarum haeret,” id. ib.: ut meos malis miser manderem natos, Poët. ap. Cic. de Or. 3, 58, 215; Lucr. 2, 638: “ambesas subigat malis absumere mensas,” Verg. A. 3, 257.—Of the dog, Verg. A. 12, 755; “of the horse,” id. G. 3, 268; “of the wolf,” id. A. 11, 681; “of the lion: horribilique malā,” Hor. C. 2, 19, 23.—
II. Transf., the corresponding external part of the face, a cheek (mostly in plur.): “infra oculos malae homini tantum, quas prisci genas vocabant Pudoris haec sedes: ibi maxime ostenditur rubor,” Plin. 11, 37, 58, § 157: “pugno malam si tibi percussero mox,” Plaut. As. 2, 2, 104; id. Mil. 2, 5, 35: “feri malam illi rursum,” slap his cheek again, id. Cas. 2, 6, 55: “(juventas) molli vestit lanugine malas,” Lucr. 5, 889; Ov. M. 12, 391; Verg. A. 10, 324: “impubes,” id. ib. 9, 751: “tenerae,” Ov. M. 13, 753: “Quod Aulo Agerio a Numerio Negidio pugno mala percussa est, Vet. Form. in Mos. et Rom. Leg. Coll. 2, 7, 4: paucae sine vulnere malae,” Juv. 15, 54.
