flail Meaning & Definition
What Does Flail Mean?
Flail is used as a noun meaning A tool used for threshing, consisting of a long handle (handstock) with a shorter stick (swipple or swingle) attached with a short piece of chain, thong or similar material. It is also used to mean A weapon which has the (usually spherical) striking part attached to the handle with a flexible joint such as a chain. As a verb, it means To beat using a flail or similar implement.
Flail: Key Facts
| Part of speech | noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /fleɪl/ |
| Synonyms | thrash, thresh and lam |
| Plural | flails |
| Verb forms | flails, flailing, flailed |
Flail Definition (Noun)
- A tool used for threshing, consisting of a long handle (handstock) with a shorter stick (swipple or swingle) attached with a short piece of chain, thong or similar material.
- A weapon which has the (usually spherical) striking part attached to the handle with a flexible joint such as a chain.
- Part of a rotating device, often used for cutting vegetation.
Flail as a Verb
- To beat using a flail or similar implement.
- To wave or swing vigorously
- To thresh.
- To move like a flail.
He was flailing wildly, but didn't land a blow.
Noun
- A tool used for threshing, consisting of a long handle with a shorter stick attached with a short piece of chain, thong or similar material.
Synonyms of Flail
Flail synonyms and antonyms →Flail in a Sentence
He was flailing wildly, but didn't land a blow.
Word Forms & Grammar
flail (plural flails)
flail (third-person singular simple present flails, present participle flailing, simple past and past participle flailed)
Words That Rhyme With Flail
Origin of Flail
Origin 1: 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.
Origin 2: Alternatively, Proto-West Germanic *flagil may be an early borrowing of Latin flagellum (“winnowing tool, thresher”), diminutive of flagrum (“scourge, whip”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰlag-, *bʰlaǵ- (“to beat”); compare Old Norse blekkja (“to beat, mistreat”). Compare also Old French flael (“flail”), Walloon flayea (“flail”) (locally pronounced "flai"), Italian flagello (“scourge, whip, plague”).
Questions People Ask About Flail
Is flail a noun or a verb?
Flail is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.
What is another word for flail?
Words with a similar meaning to flail include thrash, thresh and lam. See the full list of flail synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of flail?
The plural of flail is flails.
What is the past tense of flail?
The past tense of flail is flailed. The present participle is flailing.