cudgel
/ˈkʌdʒl; `kʌdʒəl/ n
1 short thick stick or club 粗而短的棍棒.
2 (idm 习语) take up the cudgels for/on behalf of sb/sth (start to) defend or support sb/sth strongly （奋起）保卫或支持某人[某事物]. cudgel, v (-ll; US also -l-)
1 [Tn] hit (sb) with a cudgel 用粗而短的棍棒打（某人）.
2 (idm 习语) cudgel one's `brains think very hard 冥思苦索; 绞尽脑汁
Hard as I cudgelled my brains, I couldn't remember her name. 尽管我苦思苦想, 还是想不起她的名字.