cudgel

Universal Words noun, verb noun a short thick stick that is used as a weapon IDIOMS take up (the) cudgels on behalf of sb/sth (old-fashioned, written) to defend or support sb/sth strongly verb (BrE) (-ll-, AmE also -l-) [VN] to hit sb with a cudgel IDIOMS cudgel your brains (old-fashioned, BrE) to think very hard: I had to cudgel my brains to remember her name.