different between thwack vs cudgel

English

Etymology

From a variant (influenced by whack) of Middle English thakken (“to stroke”), from Old English þaccian (“to touch gently, stroke, tap”), from Proto-Germanic *þakw?n? (“to touch lightly”), from Proto-Indo-European *teh?g- (“to touch”). Cognate with Old Dutch þakol?n (“to stroke”), Old Norse þykkr (“a thwack, thump, blow”), Icelandic þjökka, þjaka (“to thwack, thump, beat”), Norwegian tjåka (“to strike, beat”), Latin tang? (“touch”). More at tangent. It should also be noted that early foreign scribes of Middle English confused "th" and "wh", as did some writers. This disappeared for the most part once Middle English spelling had developed. Doublet of thack.

Pronunciation

• enPR: thw?k, IPA^(key): /?wæk/
• Rhymes: -æk

Noun

thwack (plural thwacks)

1. The act of thwacking; a strike or blow, especially with a flat implement.
2. A heavy slapping sound.

Translations

Verb

thwack (third-person singular simple present thwacks, present participle thwacking, simple past and past participle thwacked)

1. To hit with a flat implement.
2. To beat.
3. To fill to overflow.

Translations

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