What does coshing mean?
Coshing refers to the act of striking someone on the head with a cosh — a short, heavy, easily concealed club — usually with the aim of stunning or rendering the victim unconscious. The term is used both as a noun naming such an attack and as the verbal noun of the verb 'to cosh'. It is chiefly British English and appears most often in journalistic accounts of assaults, robberies, and street crime, as in 'the shopkeeper was the victim of a coshing during the burglary'. Because the weapon involved is associated with stealthy, opportunistic violence, the word carries a distinctly criminal and somewhat dated noir flavour, evoking mid-twentieth-century British crime reporting. For readers of British fiction and news, recognising 'coshing' clarifies precisely what kind of attack is being described: a blunt-force blow intended to incapacitate quickly rather than a fight with fists or blades.
An attack in which a person is struck on the head with a cosh (a short heavy club) to stun or knock them unconscious.
"He needed stitches after the coshing behind the pub."
Almost always found in British crime reporting or descriptions of robbery.
The action of hitting someone with a cosh.
"Muggers were coshing pedestrians in the park after dark."
One letter off from 'coaching' — but a coshing leaves you seeing stars for very different reasons.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of coshing
The word derives from 'cosh', a noun attested in British slang from the early nineteenth century meaning a thick stick or bludgeon. The ultimate origin of 'cosh' is uncertain, though it has often been linked to Romani and related itinerant vocabularies without definitive confirmation. The gerund form 'coshing' naturally followed once the verb 'to cosh', meaning to strike with such a weapon, became established.
Related word forms
How coshing is actually used
Chiefly British English; in American usage the word appears mainly in coverage of British crime stories. It carries a violent, criminal connotation and belongs largely to journalistic rather than everyday register.
Easily confused with coshing
'Coaching' means instructing or training someone, whereas 'coshing' means striking someone with a heavy club; they differ only by one letter but are entirely unrelated.