nunchuck

noun

nun·​chuck ˈnən-ˌchək 

variants or less commonly nunchuk

plural nunchucks also nunchuks

: a weapon that consists of two sticks joined by a short length of cord, chain, or rawhide : nunchaku

—usually plural

For a time, he walked around with a set of nunchucks in a holster strapped to his leg, like a six-shooter …

—Patrick Redden Keefe

… surprised a pair of burglars, one of whom was carrying a knife and two nunchuks.

—American Rifleman

Examples of nunchuck in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The speed of my spinning nunchucks wasn’t nearly as fearsome as the flapping of my upper arm flab. — Johanna Stein, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Humanoids marched, backflipped, and twirled nunchucks; robotic pandas gambolled. — Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

Many audiences may recognize him best as the shirtless, nunchuck-wielding oddball in the coming-of-age classic Ghost World (2001). — Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 27 June 2026

To his advantage, the nunchucks flew out of his hands and hit an audience member. — Ella Gonzales may 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

probably representing Anglicization of nunchaku (with stress shift and deletion of final vowel)

Note: Alternatively, final vowel loss may reflect devoicing of -u in Japanese.

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nunchuck

• amok
• amuck
• awestruck
• dumbstruck
• potluck
• roebuck
• unstuck
• woodchuck
• chuck
• cluck
• duck
• huck