Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Swingle

Swin′gle

,
Verb.
I.
[Freq. of
swing
.]
1.
To dangle; to wave hanging.
[Obs.]
Johnson.
2.
To swing for pleasure.
[Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

Swin′gle

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Swingled
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Swingling
.]
[See
Swingel
.]
1.
To clean, as flax, by beating it with a swingle, so as to separate the coarse parts and the woody substance from it; to scutch.
2.
To beat off the tops of without pulling up the roots; – said of weeds.
[Prov. Eng.]
Forby.

Swin′gle

,
Noun.
A wooden instrument like a large knife, about two feet long, with one thin edge, used for beating and cleaning flax; a scutcher; – called also
swingling knife
,
swingling staff
, and
swingling wand
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Swingle

SWIN'GLE

,
Verb.
I.
[from swing.] To dangle; to wave hanging.
1.
To swing for pleasure. [Not in use.]

SWIN'GLE

,
Verb.
T.
To beat; to clean flax by beating it with a wooden instrument resembling a large knife, and called in New England a swingling knife. Flax is first broke and then swingled.

SWIN'GLE

,
Noun.
In wire-works, a wooden spoke fixed to the barrel that draws the wire; also, a crank.

Similar Results