cudgel KUHJ-uhl noun verb WS #11

a short thick stick used as a weapon

1. He grabbed a cudgel from the woodpile to defend himself.
2. A wooden cudgel was found at the crime scene.
3. The medieval knight carried a heavy cudgel for close combat.
4. The angry mob wielded cudgels and pitchforks.
5. The guard's cudgel hung from his belt as a warning to troublemakers.

to beat with a cudgel; to think hard about something

1. She had to cudgel her brain to remember where she left her keys.
2. He cudgeled his memory trying to recall the important details.
3. Don't cudgel yourself over one mistake.
4. The detective cudgeled his mind for clues to solve the case.
5. The teacher cudgeled the students with difficult math problems.