verb · transitive · rare

flail

flail · flails · flailed · flailing

лупцювати, гамселити, лупити

махать, размахивать, молотить

wild um sich schlagen, dreschen

To beat using a flail or similar implementTo beat using a flail or similar implement.

ⓘ

/fleɪl/

» Ziri started flailing in the water.

Meaning

4 senses

(transitive)To beat using a flail or similar implement.
(transitive)To wave or swing vigorously
wild um sich schlagen
разма́хиватьrazmáxivatʹ, маха́тьmaxátʹ
(transitive)To thresh.
dreschen
молоти́тьmolotítʹ
move like a flail; thresh about
(intransitive)To move like a flail.
He was flailing wildly, but didn't land a blow.

Examples

8 sentences

Ziri started flailing in the water.
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Bruno suddenly woke up and flailed around.
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Don't just flail around aimlessly. You need a plan.
Не крутись навколо безцільно. Тобі потрібен план.
ruНе надо бесцельно метаться. Тебе нужен план.
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John started flailing his arms around and thought he was going to drown.
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A flail is a weapon.
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Translations

5 languages

Русский

By meaning 2

to wave or swing vigorously:

to thresh:

Deutsch

By meaning 2

to wave or swing vigorously:

to thresh:

Origin

From Middle English flayle, from earlier fleil, fleyl, fleȝȝl, from Old English fligel, *f

From Middle English flayle, from earlier fleil, fleyl, fleȝȝl, from Old English fligel, *flegel (“flail”), from Proto-West Germanic *flagil, of uncertain origin. Cognate with Scots flail (“a thresher's flail”), West Frisian fleil, flaaiel (“flail”), Dutch vlegel (“flail”), German Flegel (“flail”). Possibly a native Germanic word from Proto-Germanic *flagilaz (“whip”), from Proto-Germanic *flag-, *flah- (“to whip, beat”), from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂k- (“to beat, hit, strike; weep”); compare Old Norse flaga (“sudden attack, bout”), Lithuanian plàkti (“to whip, lash, flog”), Ancient Greek πληγνύναι (plēgnúnai, “strike, hit, encounter”), Latin plangō (“lament”, i.e. “beat one's breast”) + Proto-Germanic *-ilaz (instrumental suffix). If so, related also to English flag, flack, flacker.

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