First Known Use: before 12th century
Dictionary
1cudgel
noun cud·gel \ˈkə-jəl\
: a short heavy club
Full Definition of CUDGEL
: a short heavy club
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Origin of CUDGEL
Middle English kuggel, from Old English cycgel; perhaps akin to Middle High German kugele ball
Related to CUDGEL
2cudgel
verb
: to hit (someone or something) with a club
cudgeled or cudgelledcudgel·ing or cudgel·ling \ˈkəj-liŋ, ˈkə-jə-\
Full Definition of CUDGEL
transitive verb
: to beat with or as if with a cudgel
— cudgel one's brains
: to think hard (as for a solution to a problem)
See cudgel defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of CUDGEL
1596
CUDGELLING Defined for Kids
1cudgel
noun cud·gel \ˈkə-jəl\
Definition of CUDGEL for Kids
: a short heavy club
2cudgel
verb
cud·geled or cud·gelledcud·gel·ing or cud·gel·ling
Definition of CUDGEL for Kids
: to beat with or as if with a short heavy club
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