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more about flail
flail |
2 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Flail \Flail\, n. [L. flagellum whip, scourge, in LL., a threshing flail: cf OF flael, flaiel, F. fl['e]au. See {Flagellum}.] 1. An instrument for threshing or beating grain from the ear by hand, consisting of a wooden staff or handle, at the end of which a stouter and shorter pole or club, called a swipe, is so hung as to swing freely. His shadowy flail hath threshed the corn. --Milton. 2. An ancient military weapon, like the common flail, often having the striking part armed with rows of spikes, or loaded. --Fairholt. No citizen thought himself safe unless he carried under his coat a small flail, loaded with lead, to brain the Popish assassins. --Macaulay. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: flail n : an implement consisting of handle with a free swinging stick at the end used in manual threshing v 1: give a thrashing to beat hard [syn: {thrash}, {thresh}, {lam}] 2: move like a flail; thresh about "Her arms were flailing" [syn: {thresh}]
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