shillelagh
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of shillelagh
First recorded in 1670–80; from Irish Síol Éalaigh, the name of a town in County Wicklow; the adjoining forest provided wood for the clubs
Explanation
You can use the noun shillelagh to talk about a wooden stick that's used as a weapon, especially if you're in Ireland. This hardwood cudgel is named after the forest in County Wicklow which has produced many prime specimens of it. The shillelagh is beloved to the Irish and devotees of their patron saint the world over. You don't have to be Irish to wield one, but it helps. The trickiest thing about shillelagh is pronouncing it so that it sounds a bit like ukulele: shill-lay-lee.
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.
He celebrated the nearly perfect performance by putting his hands on a shillelagh.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 27, 2023
He celebrated the nearly perfect performance by putting his hands on a shillelagh.
From Washington Times • Aug. 27, 2023
The past month I’ve been staring down the shillelagh of an actual, real holiday.
From Washington Post • Mar. 12, 2021
Kenneth More, as an Irish general, hauls a bulldog named Winston onto the beach and waves his shillelagh.
From The New Yorker • Jun. 6, 2014
“Yes, Foaly. Don’t act so surprised. I have more successful recons under my belt than any officer in history. Plus I did my basic training in Ireland. Back in the top hat and shillelagh days.”
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
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.
