truncheon
Americannoun
-
the club carried by a police officer; billy.
-
a staff representing an office or authority; baton.
-
the shattered shaft of a spear.
-
Obsolete. cudgel; bludgeon.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a short thick club or cudgel carried by a policeman
-
a baton of office
a marshal's truncheon
-
archaic a short club or cudgel
-
the shaft of a spear
verb
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have truncheonedperfect
-
has truncheonedperfect 3rd person singular
-
are truncheoningprogressive
-
am truncheoningprogressive 1st person singular
-
is truncheoningprogressive 3rd person singular
-
have been truncheoningperfect progressive
-
truncheonssingular 3rd person
-
truncheoningparticiple
-
has been truncheoningperfect progressive 3rd person singular
Past
-
had truncheonedperfect
-
had been truncheoningperfect progressive
-
were truncheoningprogressive plural
-
was truncheoningprogressive singular
-
truncheonedsimple
-
truncheonedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of truncheon
1300–50; Middle English tronchon fragment < Middle French < Vulgar Latin *trunciōn-, stem of *trunciō literally, a lopping. See trunk, -ion
Explanation
A truncheon is a short, thick club, mainly used by police officers. If you find yourself face-to-face with a truncheon, you better behave. A truncheon is used by a police officer as a less deadly weapon than a gun. Just the sight of a police officer's truncheon is enough to make most people cooperate, but police are trained to use a truncheon to neutralize a violent suspect. Truncheons are also called batons, billy clubs, and nightsticks. The word truncheon comes from the Old French tronchon, "a broken off piece" or "a stump," is based on the Latin word truncus, "cut off."
Vocabulary lists containing truncheon
Refugee
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
1984
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
And Then There Were None
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And who breaks a kite upon a truncheon?
From Washington Post • Apr. 4, 2020
We snap back to the present, where Cortez—that’s the name on the back of the football jersey of this conquistador—flicks down an eye shield and snaps a truncheon to the ready.
From The New Yorker • Mar. 6, 2019
He’s such a menace that it’s tempting to cheer any vituperative critic and grab any handy truncheon.
From New York Times • Nov. 10, 2018
The eagle motif and helmet were drawn from fascism, the permanently drawn truncheon from police on the picket line, the zips, chains and knee pads from punk.
From The Guardian • Oct. 3, 2018
A man with a smooth prizefighter’s jowl in which the mouth was only a slit paused opposite him, balancing his truncheon meditatively between thumb and forefinger.
From "1984" by George Orwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
