noun
flail
flayl
noun
1
An old farming tool with a short swinging stick attached to a handle, used to beat grain loose from its husks.
"Before machines, farmers used a flail to thresh wheat by hand."
2
A weapon with a heavy striking head joined to the handle by a chain or flexible link.
"The knight in the painting carries a spiked flail."
verb
1
To wave or swing about wildly and without control.
"He flailed his arms as he slipped on the ice."
"The swimmer flailed helplessly against the current."
How to Use Flail
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMost often used today for arms or legs swinging around out of control, rather than the farm tool or weapon.
Common pairings
flail about
flailing arms
flail wildly
Word Forms
flailed past tense, flails plural, flails singular
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Before machines, farmers used a _____ to thresh wheat by hand.
Etymology
From Old English flegel, an old Germanic farm-tool word, related to German Flegel; possibly ultimately linked to Latin flagellum, "whip."