flail

Meaning

Noun

1. 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.
2. A weapon which has the (usually spherical) striking part attached to the handle with a flexible joint such as a chain.

Verb

1. To beat using a flail or similar implement.
2. To wave or swing vigorously
3. To thresh.
4. To move like a flail.

Synonyms

thresh

bludgeon

thrash

struggle

club

lam

throes

scourge

hammer

🔨

lather

mallet

maul

pestle

plague

planks

rammer

strike

swingle

switch

whip

writhe

printing plate

thrash about

threshingstick

corn thresher

threshing stick

sweeping gear

birch

trosh

buff

calamity

cowhide

death throes

flagellate

jerk

knock about

lash

Pronounced as (IPA)

/fleɪl/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: flayle

Inherited from Old English: fligel

Cognate with Scots: flail

Cognate with Western Frisian: fleil

Cognate with Dutch: vlegel

Cognate with German: Flegel

Cognate with Old Norse: flaga

Cognate with Lithuanian: plàkti

Cognate with Ancient Greek: πληγνύναι

Cognate with Latin: plangō

Cognate with Old Norse: blekkja

Cognate with Old French: flael

Cognate with Walloon: flayea

Cognate with Italian: flagello

In summary

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.
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”).