Cudgel
/ˈkʌdʒəl/
noun
A short heavy club with a rounded head used as a weapon.
“The guard hefted his cudgel menacingly and looked at the inmates.”
Anything that can be used as a threat to force one's will on another.
verb
To strike with a cudgel.
“The officer was violently cudgeled down in the midst of the rioters.”
To exercise (one's wits or brains).