different between shillelagh vs cudgel

English

Etymology

Either from Shillelagh, County Wicklow, in Ireland (from Irish Síol (“descendants”) + Éalaigh (a name)), because the forest near it provided the wood from which such clubs were made; or from sail (“cudgel”) + éille (“thong”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /???le?li/
• Rhymes: -e?li
• Hyphenation: shil?le?lagh

Noun

shillelagh (plural shillelaghs)

1. (Ireland) A wooden (traditionally blackthorn (sloe) wood) club ending with a large knob.
2. Any cudgel, whether or not of Irish origin.

Alternative forms

• shillala, shillalah, shillelah
• shillalagh
• shillaly, shillely

See also

• blackthorn

References

• Shillelah in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Further reading

• shillelagh (weapon) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

English

Etymology

From Middle English kuggel, from Old English cy??el (“a large stick, cudgel”), from Proto-Germanic *kuggilaz (“knobbed instrument”), derivative of Proto-Germanic *kugg? (“cog, swelling”), from Proto-Indo-European *gewg?- (“swelling, bow”), from Proto-Indo-European *gew-, *g?- (“to bow, bend, arch, curve”), equivalent to cog +? -el (diminutive suffix). Cognate with Middle Dutch coghele (“stick with a rounded end”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?k?d??l/
• Rhymes: -?d??l

Noun

cudgel (plural cudgels)

1. A short heavy club with a rounded head used as a weapon.
2. (figuratively) Anything that can be used as a threat to force one's will on another.

Translations

Verb

cudgel (third-person singular simple present cudgels, present participle (US) cudgeling or (Commonwealth) cudgelling, simple past and past participle (US) cudgeled or (Commonwealth) cudgelled)

1. To strike with a cudgel.
   • 1950, Jack Vance, Dying Earth, "Mazirian the Magician"

     Aboard the barge and so off the trail, the blessing lost its puissance and the barge-tender, who coveted Guyal's rich accoutrements, sought to cudgel him with a knoblolly.

2. To exercise (one's wits or brains).

Translations

See also

• club
• singlestick

Further reading

• club (weapon) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• cludge