What is truncheon in American English?

1a : a police officer’s billy club. b : baton sense 2. c obsolete : club, bludgeon. 2 : a shattered spear or lance.

What does truncheon mean in British English?

truncheon in British English (ˈtrʌntʃən ) noun. mainly British. a short thick club or cudgel carried by a police officer. a baton of office.

What is a truncheon used for?

A baton (also known as a truncheon or nightstick) is a roughly cylindrical club made of wood, rubber, plastic, or metal. It is carried as a compliance tool and defensive weapon by law-enforcement officers, correctional staff, security guards and military personnel.

Which dictionary is used in American English?

Dictionary by Merriam-Webster: America’s most-trusted online dictionary.

Is truncheon a British word?

noun. 1mainly British A short, thick stick carried as a weapon by a police officer. ‘Rowan and Mayne limited constables’ weapons to the truncheon, carried concealed until 1863. ‘

Do police still carry truncheons?

Most people nowadays have little contact with the police so they haven’t noticed the demise of wooden truncheons and tall hats (or custodian helmets as they’re more properly called). The ‘bobby on the beat’ as we used to know has been replaced by the Plastic Police (community support officers).

What is a truncheon in 1984?

truncheon. a short stout club used primarily by police officers. Even the streets leading up to its outer barriers were roamed by gorilla-faced guards in black uniforms, armed with jointed truncheons.

What is the difference between a cutting and a truncheon?

As nouns the difference between cutting and truncheon is that cutting is (countable|uncountable) the action of the verb to cut while truncheon is (label) a fragment or piece broken off from something, especially a broken-off piece of a spear or lance.

Where does the word truncheon originate from?

The word truncheon comes from the Old French tronchon, “a broken off piece” or “a stump,” is based on the Latin word truncus, “cut off.”

Is a truncheon an offensive weapon?

Offensive per se i.e. those items made for the use of causing injury to the person. Examples are a truncheon, a rice flail, a butterfly knife.