nightstick

noun

night·​stick ˈnīt-ˌstik How to pronounce nightstick (audio)
: a police officer's club

Examples of nightstick in a Sentence

police officers fitted out with nightsticks and handcuffs
Recent Examples on the Web An officer armed with a nightstick stood under him and whacked him hard on the foot. Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2024 In the early 1800s, officers blew whistles and rapped their nightsticks to alert people to crimes. Chelsia Rose Marcius, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2023 Video from the protests shows police aggressively flogging protesters with nightsticks. Phil McCausland, NBC News, 1 May 2023 That nightstick is used to rape people, women and men. Masha Gessen, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2020 In the image of Trump rushing the police officers, the A.I. generator has fused the former president’s lower half with that of a cop, so Trump appears to be sporting a nightstick in a holster belt. Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2023 The president and his fellow marchers climbed to the part of the bridge where, 58 years ago, peaceful protesters were beaten with nightsticks and tear gassed by a group of white police officers. Katie Rogers, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2023 Then one pulled out a nightstick. David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2023 For failing to have his nightstick on duty. John Archibald | Jarchibald@al.com, al, 16 Nov. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nightstick.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nightstick was in 1887

Dictionary Entries Near nightstick

Cite this Entry

“Nightstick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nightstick. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

nightstick

noun
night·​stick -ˌstik How to pronounce nightstick (audio)
: a police officer's club

More from Merriam-Webster on nightstick

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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