nunchaku

American  

[nuhn-chah-koo] / nʌnˈtʃɑ ku /

Also nun-chucks,

noun

1. Sometimes nunchakus. a Japanese hand weapon for defense against frontal assault, consisting of two foot-long hardwood sticks joined by a chain or thick cord that stretches to body width.

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Etymology

Origin of nunchaku

1965–70; < Okinawan Japanese version of a dialectal Chinese (Taiwan) word for a farm implement, probably neng-cak, equivalent to Chinese lyǎng pair(ed) + záo dig (a hole), i.e., two diggers; with 2nd element interpreted as zat, equivalent to Chinese jié section

Example Sentences

“People think I’m training cops to be Bruce Lees running around, but that’s not what I’m doing,” Kevin Orcutt, a retired Colorado police officer and the inventor of the Orcutt Police Nunchaku, told the Guardian.

From The Guardian • Oct. 27, 2015

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