cudgel

[ kuhj-uhl ]

noun

1. a short, thick stick used as a weapon; club.

verb (used with object)

, cudg·eled, cudg·el·ing, or (especially British) cudg·elled, cudg·el·ling.

1. to strike with a cudgel; beat.

cudgel

/ ˈkʌdʒəl /

noun

1. a short stout stick used as a weapon
2. take up the cudgels
   often foll byfor or on behalf of to join in a dispute, esp to defend oneself or another

verb

1. tr to strike with a cudgel or similar weapon
2. cudgel one's brains
   to think hard about a problem

Derived Forms

• ˈcudgeller, noun

Other Words From

• cudgel·er especially British, cudgel·ler noun
• un·cudgeled adjective
• un·cudgelled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cudgel¹

before 900; Middle English cuggel, Old English cycgel; akin to German Kugel ball

Word History and Origins

Origin of cudgel¹

Old English cycgel; related to Middle Dutch koghele stick with knob

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. cudgel one's brains, to try to comprehend or remember:

   I cudgeled my brains to recall her name.

2. take up the cudgels, to come to the defense or aid of someone or something.

Example Sentences

Aquino credited his parents with imbuing in him the desire to “take up the cudgels for those who have less in life, for the powerless,” he told Time magazine in 2010 while running for president.

From Washington Post

Gaetz is a prolific user of social media and the kind of social media user who alternately deploys it for jokes or as a cudgel.

From Washington Post

That the issue is being used as a cudgel targeting Democrats isn’t subtle.

From Washington Post

With high mandatory sentences as a cudgel, prosecutors pervasively threaten defendants with draconian charges that could lead to years of imprisonment.

From Washington Post

That be it as it may, this cudgel that is used to make this man we can call The Mark feel like he’s lucky to be where he is, is actually working since he clearly feels bad about where he might be.

From Ozy

You have this privilege to be famous and you use it as a cudgel?

From The Daily Beast

Gina Dominguez, the spokeswoman for Gov. Javier Duarte and his cudgel with the local press, resigned a mere three days later.

From The Daily Beast

The insane, obscene, yawning difference between the pay of workers and bosses has long been used as a cudgel by labor groups.

From The Daily Beast

They just want any cudgel they can find to beat Obama over the head, so Snowden suits their purposes for now.

From The Daily Beast

The cudgel that President Obama is whacking House Republicans with is the cudgel they themselves put in his hand.

From The Daily Beast

That's the very way we lost the battle:—for had the two parties never met, depend on't, one had never cudgel'd the other.

From Project Gutenberg

The higher classes have generally handsome pistols or great knives, the others content themselves with a good cudgel.

From Project Gutenberg

Behind him on the roof of one of the houses we saw a man with a long cudgel which he shook at the monkey.

From Project Gutenberg

He still carried his cane, but he had no use for it, save to clutch it in one hand more after the manner of a cudgel than a cane.

From Project Gutenberg

I am about to fulfil a great act of justice by braining you with my cudgel like a wolf caught in a trap.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• nightstick
• truncheon