cudgel

[ kuhj-uh l ]
/ ˈkʌdʒ əl /

noun

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.

to strike with a cudgel; beat.

Idioms for cudgel

    cudgel one's brains, to try to comprehend or remember: I cudgeled my brains to recall her name.
    take up the cudgels, to come to the defense or aid of someone or something.

Origin of cudgel

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

OTHER WORDS FROM cudgel

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

Words nearby cudgel

cudahy, cudbear, cuddle, cuddly, cuddy, cudgel, cudgel one's brains, cudgerie, cudjo, cudlipp, cudweed

British Dictionary definitions for cudgel one's brains

cudgel
/ (ˈkʌdʒəl) /

noun

a short stout stick used as a weapon
take up the cudgels (often foll by for or on behalf of) to join in a dispute, esp to defend oneself or another

verb -els, -elling or -elled or US -els, -eling or -eled

(tr) to strike with a cudgel or similar weapon
cudgel one's brains to think hard about a problem

Derived forms of cudgel

cudgeller, noun

Word Origin for cudgel

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

Idioms and Phrases with cudgel one's brains

cudgel one's brains

see rack one's brains.