- cudgel
- See: TAKE UP THE CUDGELS FOR.
Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.
cudgel
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Cudgel — Cudg el (k?j ?l), n. [OE. kuggel; cf. G. keule club (with a round end), kugel ball, or perh. W. cogyl cudgel, or D. cudse, kuds, cudgel.] A staff used in cudgel play, shorter than the quarterstaff, and wielded with one hand; hence, any heavy… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Cudgel — Cudg el, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Cudgeled} or {Cudgelled} ( ?ld); p. pr. & vb. n. {Cudgeling} or {cudgelling}.] To beat with a cudgel. [1913 Webster] An he here, I would cudgel him like a dog. Shak. [1913 Webster] {To cudgel one s brains}, to… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
cudgel — ► NOUN ▪ a short thick stick used as a weapon. ► VERB (cudgelled, cudgelling; US cudgeled, cudgeling) ▪ beat with a cudgel. ● cudgel one s brain Cf. ↑cudgel one s brain … English terms dictionary
cudgel — [kuj′əl] n. [ME (SW dial.) kuggel < OE cycgel, lit., club with rounded head, akin to Ger kugel, ball < IE base * geu , to curve, bend > COD2] a short, thick stick or club vt. cudgeled or cudgelled, cudgeling or cudgelling to beat with a… … English World dictionary
cudgel — I noun arm, baculum, bar, bastinado, bat, battering ram, billy, blackjack, bludgeon, cane, club, cosh, deadly device, deadly weapon, deterrent, ferule, fustis, instrument for use in combat, instrument of war, lethal instrument, lethal weapon,… … Law dictionary
cudgel — [n] baton for hitting bastinado, bat, billy*, billyclub, birch, blackjack, bludgeon, cane, club, cosh*, ferule, mace, nightstick, paddle, rod, sap, shill, shillelagh, spontoon, stick, switch, truncheon; concept 500 … New thesaurus
cudgel — {{11}}cudgel (n.) O.E. cycgel club with rounded head; perhaps from PIE root *geu to curve, bend. {{12}}cudgel (v.) to beat with a cudgel, 1590s, from CUDGEL (Cf. cudgel) (n.). Related: Cudgeled; cudgeling … Etymology dictionary
cudgel — I UK [ˈkʌdʒ(ə)l] / US [ˈkʌdʒəl] noun [countable] Word forms cudgel : singular cudgel plural cudgels a short thick stick used for hitting people • take up the cudgels II UK [ˈkʌdʒ(ə)l] / US [ˈkʌdʒəl] verb [transitive] Word forms cudgel : present… … English dictionary
cudgel — cudg|el1 [ kʌdʒəl ] noun count a short thick stick used for hitting people take up the cudgels to take action to support or defend a person, idea, political movement, etc. cudgel cudg|el 2 [ kʌdʒəl ] verb transitive to hit someone hard and… … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
cudgel — cudgeler; esp. Brit., cudgeller, n. /kuj euhl/, n., v., cudgeled, cudgeling, or (esp. Brit.) cudgelled, cudgelling. n. 1. a short, thick stick used as a weapon; club. 2. take up the cudgels, to come to the defense or aid of someone or something.… … Universalium
cudgel — 1. noun a short heavy club with a rounded head used as a weapon The guard hefted his cudgel menacingly at the inmates, the threat to swing glinted in his eye. Syn: club 2. verb to strike someone with a cudgel The officer was violently cu … Wiktionary
