A baton (from bâton, the French for stick) or truncheon (nightstick or billy-club in American English) is essentially a stick of less than arms-length, usually mae of wood, plastic, or metal, and carried by law enforcement, corrections, security, and (to a less common degree) military personnel for less-lethal self-defense, as well as control and to disperse combative and non-compliant subjects. A baton may be used to strike, jab, block, and aid in the application of armlocks.