flail

flail

F0161700 (flāl)n. A manual threshing device consisting of a long wooden handle or staff and a shorter, free-swinging stick attached to its end.v. flailed, flail·ing, flails v.tr.1. To beat or strike with or as if with a flail: flailed our horses with the reins.2. To wave or swing vigorously; thrash: flailed my arms to get their attention.3. To thresh using a flail.v.intr.1. To move vigorously or erratically; thrash about: arms flailing helplessly in the water.2. To strike or lash out violently: boxers flailing at each other in the ring.3. To make energetic but aimless or or ineffectual efforts: "As the end of law school approached, Hill flailed briefly in numerous professional directions" (Molly Worthen).4. To thresh grain.

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[Middle English, from Old English flegil and from Old French flaiel, both from Late Latin flagellum, threshing tool, from Latin flagrum, whip.]

flail

(fleɪl) n1. (Agriculture) an implement used for threshing grain, consisting of a wooden handle with a free-swinging metal or wooden bar attached to it2. (Arms & Armour (excluding Firearms)) a weapon so shaped used in the Middle Agesvb3. (tr) to beat or thrash with or as if with a flail4. to move or be moved like a flail; thresh about: with arms flailing. [C12 fleil, ultimately from Late Latin flagellum flail, from Latin: whip]

flail

(fleɪl)

n. 1. an instrument for threshing grain, consisting of a staff or handle to one end of which is attached a freely swinging stick or bar. v.t., v.i. 2. to beat or swing with or as if with a flail. [before 1100; Middle English fleil, Old English flighel. See flagellum]

flail

- Based on Latin flagellum, "whip."See also related terms for whip.

flail

Past participle: flailed
Gerund: flailing

Imperative
flail
flail

Present
I flail
you flail
he/she/it flails
we flail
you flail
they flail

Preterite
I flailed
you flailed
he/she/it flailed
we flailed
you flailed
they flailed

Present Continuous
I am flailing
you are flailing
he/she/it is flailing
we are flailing
you are flailing
they are flailing

Present Perfect
I have flailed
you have flailed
he/she/it has flailed
we have flailed
you have flailed
they have flailed

Past Continuous
I was flailing
you were flailing
he/she/it was flailing
we were flailing
you were flailing
they were flailing

Past Perfect
I had flailed
you had flailed
he/she/it had flailed
we had flailed
you had flailed
they had flailed

Future
I will flail
you will flail
he/she/it will flail
we will flail
you will flail
they will flail

Future Perfect
I will have flailed
you will have flailed
he/she/it will have flailed
we will have flailed
you will have flailed
they will have flailed

Future Continuous
I will be flailing
you will be flailing
he/she/it will be flailing
we will be flailing
you will be flailing
they will be flailing

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been flailing
you have been flailing
he/she/it has been flailing
we have been flailing
you have been flailing
they have been flailing

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been flailing
you will have been flailing
he/she/it will have been flailing
we will have been flailing
you will have been flailing
they will have been flailing

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been flailing
you had been flailing
he/she/it had been flailing
we had been flailing
you had been flailing
they had been flailing

Conditional
I would flail
you would flail
he/she/it would flail
we would flail
you would flail
they would flail

Past Conditional
I would have flailed
you would have flailed
he/she/it would have flailed
we would have flailed
you would have flailed
they would have flailed

Flail

A hand-threshing implement that consisted of two wooden sticks connected together by a flexible connection such as a piece of chain or a leather strap or thong. One of the sticks functioned as a handle while the other piece, the Swipple, was used to beat the grain loose from the stalks.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	flail - an implement consisting of handle with a free swinging stick at the end; used in manual threshingimplement - instrumentation (a piece of equipment or tool) used to effect an end
Verb	1.	flail - give a thrashing to; beat hardthrash, lam, threshbeat up, work over, beat - give a beating to; subject to a beating, either as a punishment or as an act of aggression; "Thugs beat him up when he walked down the street late at night"; "The teacher used to beat the students"drub, lick, clobber, cream, bat, thrash - beat thoroughly and conclusively in a competition or fight; "We licked the other team on Sunday!"
	2.	flail - move like a flail; thresh about; "Her arms were flailing"threshflap, beat - move with a flapping motion; "The bird's wings were flapping"

flail

verb thrash, beat, windmill, thresh His arms were flailing in all directions.

flail

verb1. To swing about or strike at wildly:thrash, thresh, toss.Idiom: toss and turn.2. To beat (plants) with a machine or by hand to separate the grain from the straw:thrash, thresh.

Translations