swingle

listen to the pronunciation of swingle
English - English
An implement used to separate the fibres of flax by beating them; a scutch
to beat or flog, especially for extracting the fibres from flax stalks; to scutch

The first operation in dressing flax is to swingle or beat it, in order to detach it from the harle or skimps.

{v} to swing in pleasure, dangle, beat flax
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
To dangle; to wave hanging
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
To swing for pleasure
To beat off the tops of without pulling up the roots; said of weeds
swingle
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