flail

flail  (fll)

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 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.]

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flail [fleɪl]

n

1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Agriculture) an implement used for threshing grain, consisting of a wooden handle with a free-swinging metal or wooden bar attached to it

2. (Military / Arms & Armour (excluding Firearms)) a weapon so shaped used in the Middle Ages

vb

1. (tr) to beat or thrash with or as if with a flail

2. to move or be moved like a flail; thresh about with arms flailing

[C12 fleil, ultimately from Late Latin flagellum flail, from Latin: whip]

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flail - Based on Latin flagellum, "whip."

See also related terms for whip.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	flail - an implement consisting of handle with a free swinging stick at the end; used in manual threshing implement - instrumentation (a piece of equipment or tool) used to effect an end
Verb	1.	flail - give a thrashing to; beat hard thrash, lam, thresh beat 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" thresh flap, beat - move with a flapping motion; "The bird's wings were flapping"

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flail

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

Translations

flail [fleɪl]

A. N (Agr) → mayal m

B. VT

1. (Agr) → desgranar

2. (= beat) → golpear, azotar

3. (= agitate) [+ arms, legs] → agitar

C. VI to flail (about) [arms, legs] → agitarse; [person] → revolverse
I tried to grab his flailing arms → intenté agarrarle los brazos que no paraba de agitar

flail [ˈfleɪl]

vi [arms, legs] → battre l'air

vt [+ arms, legs] → agiter dans tous les sens

n (for winnowing) → fléau m

flail around

vi → battre l'air

flail

n → (Dresch)flegel m

vt → dreschen; he flailed his arms about or around wildly → er schlug wild (mit den Armen) um sich

vi to flail (about) → herumfuchteln; the dying deer with its legs flailing in all directions → das verendende Reh, das mit seinen Läufen nach allen Richtungen ausschlug

flail [fleɪl] vi (arms, legs) → agitare