different between bludgeon vs bombard

English

Etymology

First attested in 1730. Origin uncertain, perhaps of Cornish origin (recorded as blogon c. 1450) or from Middle French bougeon, a diminutive of bouge (“club, stick”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /bl?d?.?n/
• Rhymes: -?d??n

Noun

bludgeon (plural bludgeons)

1. A short, heavy club, often of wood, which is thicker or loaded at one end.

   We smashed the radio with a steel bludgeon.

Translations

See also

• truncheon

Verb

bludgeon (third-person singular simple present bludgeons, present participle bludgeoning, simple past and past participle bludgeoned)

1. (transitive) To strike or hit with something hard, usually on the head; to club.
2. (transitive) To coerce someone, as if with a bludgeon.

   Their favorite method was bludgeoning us with the same old arguments in favor of their opinions.

Synonyms

• (to club): cudgel
• (coerce): harass, pummel

Derived terms

• bludgeoner

Related terms

• clobber
• beat

Translations

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “bludgeon”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

English

Pronunciation

• Verb:
  • (UK) IPA^(key): /?b?m?b??d/
  • (US) IPA^(key): /?b?m?b??d/, /b?m?b??d/
• Noun:
  • (UK) IPA^(key): /?b?m?b??d/
  • (US) IPA^(key): /?b?m?b??d/

Etymology 1

From Middle French bombarde (“a bombard, mortar, catapult"; also "a bassoon-like musical instrument”), from Latin bombus (“buzzing; booming”).

Noun

bombard (plural bombards)

1. a medieval primitive cannon, used chiefly in sieges for throwing heavy stone balls.

   • They planted in divers places twelve great bombards, wherewith they threw huge stones into the air, which, falling down into the city, might break down the houses.

2. (obsolete) a bassoon-like medieval instrument
3. (obsolete) a large liquor container made of leather, in the form of a jug or a bottle.
   • 1610, The Tempest, by Shakespeare, act 2 scene 2

     […] yond same black cloud, yond huge one, / looks like a foul bombard that would shed his liquor.

4. (poetic, rare) A bombardment.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Joel Barlow to this entry?)

5. (music) A bombardon.

Translations

Etymology 2

From French bombarder, from Middle French bombarde (“a bombard”)

Verb

bombard (third-person singular simple present bombards, present participle bombarding, simple past and past participle bombarded)

1. To continuously attack something with bombs, artillery shells or other missiles or projectiles.

2. (figuratively) To attack something or someone by directing objects at them.
3. (figuratively) To continuously send or direct (at someone)

4. (physics) To direct at a substance an intense stream of high-energy particles, usually sub-atomic or made of at most a few atoms.

Synonyms

• bomb

Translations

Derived terms