cudgelling

Variant of cudgel

cudgel definition

cudgel (kuj′əl)

noun

a short, thick stick or club

Etymology: ME (SW dial.) kuggel < OE cycgel, lit., club with rounded head, akin to Ger kugel, ball < IE base *geu-, to curve, bend > cod

transitive verb cudgeled -·eled or cudgelled -·elled, cudgeling -·el·ing or cudgelling -·el·ling

to beat with a cudgel
cudgel Idioms

cudgel one's brains

to think hard

take up the cudgels (for)

to come to the defense (of)

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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