swingle
An implement used to separate the fibres of flax by beating themAn implement used to separate the fibres of flax by beating them; a scutch.
Meaning
2 sensesAn implement used to separate the fibres of flax by beating them; a scutch.
The swinging part of a flail, especially that which is used on the grain in threshing; the swipple.
Origin
The noun is from Middle English swingel, from Old English swingel, swingelle (“whip, scourThe noun is from Middle English swingel, from Old English swingel, swingelle (“whip, scourge”), equivalent to swing + -le. Related to Middle Dutch swingel, swengel, Dutch zwingel, zwengel. Doublet of swingel.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Dictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.