truncheon

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“
A huge black snake lay in its place To seize his truncheon was the act of a moment.

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Definitions (12)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (4)

  1. noun A short stick carried by police; a billy club.
  2. noun A staff carried as a symbol of office or authority; a baton.
  3. noun Obsolete A heavy club; a cudgel.
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Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (5)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (2)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (1)

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Examples (50)

  • With a blow of the constable's truncheon, the lock was broken. —  F ;SF - vol 096 issue 06 - June 1999
  • Benito Dandi had gotten hold of a Perpetui truncheon, and laid about him fiercely. —  Jacqueline Carey - Kushiel 02 - Kushiel's Chosen
  • One swing of a truncheon, and the offender was hauled off to jail, unconscious. —  AnalogSF,June2003
  • The combat was to cease as soon as Prince John should throw down his leading staff, or truncheon--another precaution usually taken to prevent the unnecessary effusion of blood by the too long endurance of a sport so desperate. —  Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 6
  • A huge black snake lay in its place To seize his truncheon was the act of a moment. —  The Settler and the Savage
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Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English tronchon, piece broken off, club, from Old North French, from Vulgar Latin *trunciō, *trunciōn-, from Latin truncus, trunk; see trunk.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. Formerly also trunchion; from Middle English trunchon, trunchone, trunchyne, tronchon, tronchoun, from Old French tronçon, tronson, a truncheon, a thick slice, a piece cut off, French tronçon (= Provencal tronso, troncho, trenson = Spanish troncon = Italian troncone), diminutive of tronc, a stump, trunk: see trunk.
  2. from truncheon, n.
 

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/ˈtrəntʃən/
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