mal pais

(malpaís [malpaís] < malo 'bad' < Latin malum and país 'country' < French pays 'rural territory' < Latin pagensim 'country dweller' < Latin pagum 'agricultural district')

   1) DARE: 1844. Rugged terrain, bad country, especially if the ground is composed of eroded basaltic lava.

   Alternate forms: malapai, malapais, malipi, mallapy, malpais, malpiar.

   Santamaría references malpaís as arid, desertlike, and unpleasant terrain. It lacks water or any type of vegetation because it is generally covered with volcanic rock. Cobos glosses it as "lava beds" or "badlands."

   2) Arizona: 1881. Basaltic lava, or a piece of volcanic rock. Sobarzo concurs with this definition.

   Alternate form: malley.