truncheon

¹trun·cheon

noun \ˈtrən-chən\

Definition of TRUNCHEON

1

: a shattered spear or lance

2

a obsolete : club, bludgeon b : baton 2 c : a police officer's billy club

Examples of TRUNCHEON

1. <police officers were forced to use their truncheons on the rioters>

Origin of TRUNCHEON

Middle English tronchoun, from Anglo-French trunchun, from Vulgar Latin *truncion-, *truncio, from Latin truncus trunk

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to TRUNCHEON

Synonyms: bastinado (or bastinade), bat, baton, billy, billy club, bludgeon, cane, cudgel, nightstick, rod, rung [Scottish], sap, shillelagh (also shillalah), staff, club, waddy [Australian]

Related Words: blackjack, knobkerrie, mace; birch, crabstick, hickory, rattan, stave, switch; beetle, gavel, hammer, mallet, maul, sledgehammer; crook, crosier (or crozier), walking stick, whangee

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Other Weapons and Explosives Terms

automatic, carbine, cudgel, muzzle, rapier

Rhymes with TRUNCHEON

luncheon, puncheon