flail

(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 thresh grain.

[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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verb

1. To swing about or strike at wildly: thrash, thresh, toss. Idioms: toss and turn. See attack/defend, move/halt, strike/miss.
2. To beat (plants) with a machine or by hand to separate the grain from the straw: thrash, thresh. See attack/defend, strike/miss.

A device for breaking or crushing material by means of one or more hammers which are hinged or pivoted about a rotating axle.

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IN BRIEF: To move or wave about.

The campers had to flail their arms to ward off the swarm of insects.

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Exhibiting abnormal or pathological mobility, as flail chest or flail joint.

• f. chest — a loss of stability of the chest wall due to multiple rib fractures or detachment of the sternum from the ribs as a result of a severe crushing chest injury. The loose chest segment moves in a direction which is the reverse of normal; that is, the segment moves inward during inspiration and outward during expiration (paradoxical respiration). Other manifestations of flail chest include shortness of breath, cyanosis, and extreme pain in the area of trauma.
• f. joint — an unusually movable joint.
• f. segment — the portion of skin, chest-wall or other structure lacking stability.

For a list of words related to flail, see:

• Miscellaneous Tools, Objects, and Supplies - flail: short, thick, wooden stick loosely attached to handle, for threshing
• Blades, Clubs, and Projectiles - flail: swinging bar attached to long handle, used in close combat
• Tools, Machinery, and Structures - flail: short, thick wooden stick loosely attached to handle, used for threshing
• Mood and Intent - flail: move or toss about freely, often to no effect
• Violent Actions - flail: beat, esp. with free-swinging stick attached to handle

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See words rhyming with "flail."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Flail.

Dansk (Danish)
n. - plejl
v. tr. - plejltærske, piske
v. intr. - fægte med armene

Nederlands (Dutch)
dorsen, (rond)zwaaien, slaan, dorsvlegel

Français (French)
n. - fléau
v. tr. - (Agric) battre (qch) au fléau
v. intr. - battre, se débattre, s'agiter, agiter

Deutsch (German)
v. - dreschen, (um sich) schlagen
n. - Dreschflegel

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - χτυπώ, κουνώ τα χέρια πάνω-κάτω, κοπανίζω, λιχνίζω
n. - κόπανος

Italiano (Italian)
flagellare

Português (Portuguese)
v. - malhar cereais com um mangual, agitar (braços ou pernas) de forma violenta
n. - mangual (m) (ferramenta) (Agr.)

Русский (Russian)
вращаться вхолостую, молотить, бить, вертеться, замахать, отгонять, мотаться

Español (Spanish)
n. - mayal (para desgranar)
v. tr. - trillar, desgranar, azotar, batir
v. intr. - trillar, desgranar, azotar, batir

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - tröska, slå
n. - slaga

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
连枷, 用连枷打, 用连枷打谷, 鞭打, 抽打, 敲击, 胡乱地摆动

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 連枷
v. tr. - 用連枷打
v. intr. - 用連枷打穀, 鞭打, 抽打, 敲擊, 胡亂地擺動

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 도리깨
v. tr. - ~을 도리깨로 치다, 두드리다
v. intr. - 때리다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 殻竿, 殻竿状の武器
v. - 殻竿で打つ, 殻竿で脱穀する

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يضرب بمدرس, أو نحوه , يتحرك , يتأرجح (الاسم) مدرس, يدوي للحنطه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮כלי-דישה (לתבואה), מחבטה‬
v. tr. - ‮דש, הכה, חבט‬
v. intr. - ‮נפנף או טלטל בפראות‬

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