---
title: truncheon — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «truncheon» in the school dictionary: A short thick stick carried by police officers as a weapon; in the US it is called a nightstick or baton. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# truncheon

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** policeman, Victorian police, museum, Mr, Police, guard · **What happens:** carry, call, tap, have, paint, wave · **To what, where:** short thick stick, truncheon, wooden truncheon, old painted truncheon, stick, baton · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«truncheon» in the school dictionary: its meaning for a pupil and its 6 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [truncheon in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/truncheon.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .note -->
Usage: UK — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A short thick stick carried by police officers as a weapon; in the US it is called a nightstick or baton.

<!-- fold The tree, 21 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:truncheon:m1:1
# text = A short thick stick carried by police officers as a weapon; in the US it is called a nightstick or baton.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
2	short	short	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
3	thick	thick	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	stick	stick	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	nsubj:pass	_	_
5	carried	carry	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	acl	_	_
6	by	by	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	police	police	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	officers	officer	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	_
9	as	as	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	weapon	weapon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	4	punct	_	_
13	in	in	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	US	US	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
16	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	18	nsubj:pass	_	_
17	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	18	aux:pass	_	_
18	called	call	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
19	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
20	nightstick	nightstick	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	xcomp	_	_
21	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	22	cc	_	_
22	baton	baton	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	18	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **carry** | participle |  | a short thick stick in the US *not said here* |  |  |  | by police officers; as a weapon | vn carry-11.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **call** | present · passive |  | a short thick stick in the US |  |  |  |  | vn initiate\_communication-37.4.2-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: subject=Recipient |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The policeman tapped his truncheon against his hand.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:truncheon:x1:1
# text = The policeman tapped his truncheon against his hand.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	policeman	policeman	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	tapped	tap	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	truncheon	truncheon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	against	against	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	hand	hand	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **tap** | past | the policeman | policeman's truncheon |  |  |  | against policeman's hand | vn hit-18.1-1 «NP V NP PP»: agent=Agent truncheon=Instrument against hand=Patient |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Victorian police carried a wooden truncheon.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:truncheon:x2:1
# text = Victorian police carried a wooden truncheon.
1	Victorian	victorian	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	police	police	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	carried	carry	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	wooden	wooden	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	truncheon	truncheon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **carry** | past | Victorian police | a wooden truncheon |  |  |  |  | vn carry-11.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent truncheon=Theme |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The museum has an old painted truncheon.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:truncheon:x3:1
# text = The museum has an old painted truncheon.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	museum	museum	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
5	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
6	painted	paint	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	7	amod	_	_
7	truncheon	truncheon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | the museum | a old painted truncheon |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent truncheon=Patient |
| 2 | **paint** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn image\_impression-25.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Mr Punch waved his stick like a truncheon.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:truncheon:x4:1
# text = Mr Punch waved his stick like a truncheon.
1	Mr	Mr	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	Punch	Punch	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	1	flat	_	_
3	waved	wave	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	stick	stick	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	like	like	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	truncheon	truncheon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **wave** | past | Mr | Mr's stick |  |  |  | like a truncheon | vn wink-40.3.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent stick=Patient |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Police today carry a baton, not a truncheon.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:truncheon:x5:1
# text = Police today carry a baton, not a truncheon.
1	Police	police	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	today	today	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl:unmarked	_	_
3	carry	carry	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	baton	baton	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
7	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	9	advmod	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	truncheon	truncheon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **carry** | present | Police | a baton |  |  | today |  | vn carry-11.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent baton=Theme |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The guard held his truncheon ready.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:truncheon:x6:1
# text = The guard held his truncheon ready.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	guard	guard	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	held	hold	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	truncheon	truncheon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	ready	ready	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hold** | past | the guard | guard's truncheon |  |  |  | ready *property* | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent truncheon=Theme |

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**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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