cosh

8 synonyms for cosh, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A short, heavy stick or weighted tube used as a weapon to strike someone, especially over the head.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

club strike

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

baton sap

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

truncheon bludgeon blackjack clobber

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun British

A short, heavy stick or weighted tube used as a weapon to strike someone, especially over the head.

“The robber carried a leather cosh weighted with lead shot.”

truncheon bludgeon blackjack club baton sap

2. verb British

To hit someone with a cosh or other heavy object.

“He was coshed from behind and left in the alley.”

bludgeon clobber club strike

How to use cosh

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

under the cosh coshed over the head leather cosh cosh and sinh

The weapon sense is chiefly British and somewhat old-fashioned, common in crime writing. The maths sense is fully technical and international.

Etymology

Probably comes from Romani košter (“stick”).

Full origin of cosh →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a cosh and a truncheon?

A truncheon is a rigid baton issued to police as standard equipment, while a cosh is typically shorter, often flexible or weighted at one end, and is associated with improvised or criminal use. In many jurisdictions carrying a cosh is an offence in itself.

How do you pronounce cosh in maths?

Most mathematicians say it as a single syllable, 'kosh', rhyming with 'posh'. Some read it aloud as 'cos-h' or 'hyperbolic cosine', particularly when clarity matters.

What does 'under the cosh' mean?

It is a British idiom meaning under heavy pressure or sustained attack, used especially in sport and business. A team defending desperately for the last twenty minutes is said to be under the cosh.

People also searched

club strike sap baton blackjack bludgeon truncheon clobber

Nearby words

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