{Debating society} or {club}, a society or club for the
purpose of debate and improvement in extemporaneous
speaking.
Till grosser atoms, tumbling in the stream Of fancy,
madly met, and clubbed into a dream. --Dryden.
2. To pay on equal or proportionate share of a common charge
or expense; to pay for something by contribution.
The owl, the raven, and the bat, Clubbed for a
feather to his hat. --Swift.
3. (Naut.) To drift in a current with an anchor out.
But make you ready your stiff bats and clubs; Rome
and her rats are at the point of battle. --Shak.
2. [Cf. the Spanish name bastos, and Sp. baston staff, club.]
Any card of the suit of cards having a figure like the
trefoil or clover leaf. (pl.) The suit of cards having
such figure.
3. An association of persons for the promotion of some common
object, as literature, science, politics, good fellowship,
etc.; esp. an association supported by equal assessments
or contributions of the members.
They talked At wine, in clubs, of art, of politics.
--Tennyson.
He [Goldsmith] was one of the nine original members
of that celebrated fraternity which has sometimes
been called the Literary Club, but which has always
disclaimed that epithet, and still glories in the
simple name of the Club. --Macaulay.
4. A joint charge of expense, or any person's share of it; a
contribution to a common fund.
They laid down the club. --L'Estrange.
We dined at a French house, but paid ten shillings
for our part of the club. --Pepys.
{Club law}, government by violence; lynch law; anarchy.
--Addison.
{Club moss} (Bot.), an evergreen mosslike plant, much used in
winter decoration. The best know species is {Lycopodium
clavatum}, but other {Lycopodia} are often called by this
name. The spores form a highly inflammable powder.
{Club root} (Bot.), a disease of cabbages, by which the roots
become distorted and the heads spoiled.
{Club topsail} (Naut.), a kind of gaff topsail, used mostly
by yachts having a fore-and-aft rig. It has a short
``club'' or ``jack yard'' to increase its spread.
2. (Mil.) To throw, or allow to fall, into confusion.
To club a battalion implies a temporary inability in
the commanding officer to restore any given body of
men to their natural front in line or column.
--Farrow.
3. To unite, or contribute, for the accomplishment of a
common end; as, to club exertions.
4. To raise, or defray, by a proportional assesment; as, to
club the expense.
{To club a musket} (Mil.), to turn the breach uppermost, so
as to use it as a club.