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Webster 1913 Edition

Cudgel

Cudg′el

(k?j′?l)
,
Noun.
[OE.
kuggel
; cf. G.
keule
club (with a round end),
kugel
ball, or perh. W.
cogyl
cudgel, or D.
cudse
,
kuds
, cudgel.]
A staff used in cudgel play, shorter than the quarterstaff, and wielded with one hand; hence, any heavy stick used as a weapon.
He getteth him a grievous crabtree
cudgel
and . . . falls to rating of them as if they were dogs.
Bunyan.
Cudgel play
,
a fight or sportive contest with cudgels.
–
To cross the cudgels
,
to forbear or give up the contest; – a phrase borrowed from the practice of cudgel players, who lay one cudgel over another when the contest is ended.
–
To take up cudgels for
,
to engage in a contest in behalf of (some one or something).

Cudg′el

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Cudgeled
or
Cudgelled
(-[GREEK]ld)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Cudgeling
or
cudgelling
.]
To beat with a cudgel.
An he here, I would
cudgel
him like a dog.
Shakespeare
To cudgel one’s brains
,
to exercise one's wits.

Webster 1828 Edition

Cudgel

CUDGEL

,
Noun.
A short thick stick of wood, such as may be used by the hand in beating. It differs strictly from a club, which is larger at one end than the other. It is shorter than a pole, and thicker than a rod.
To cross the cudgels, to forbear the contest; a phrase borrowed from the practice of cudgel-players, who lay one cudgel over another.

CUDGEL

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To beat with a cudgel, or thick stick.
2.
To beat in general.

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