Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
dictionary thesaurus view recents

swingle

noun
Save Word
swin·​gle | \ ˈswiŋgəl \
plural -s

Definition of swingle

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a wooden instrument like a large knife that is about two feet long, has one thin edge, and is used for beating and cleaning flax : scutcher
2a : the swiple of a flail
b : a cudgel resembling a flail
3 : a lever resembling a spoke and used for turning the barrel in wire drawing or the roller of a plate press

swingle

transitive verb
\ " \
swingled; swingled; swingling\ -​g(ə)liŋ \; swingles

Definition of swingle (Entry 2 of 2)

: to clean by beating with a swingle : separate away the coarse and woody parts of : scutch

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

History and Etymology for swingle

Noun

Middle English swingel, swengil, from Middle Dutch swinghel, swenghel instrument for beating flax, swipe; akin to Old English swingell whip, rod, blow, swingan to strike, beat

Transitive verb

Middle English swinglen, from Middle Dutch swinghelen, from swinghel swingle

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about swingle

Statistics for swingle

Cite this Entry

“Swingle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swingle. Accessed 22 Sep. 2020.

Comments on swingle

What made you want to look up swingle? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

operose

Listen to the pronunciation of operose

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Homophone Quiz

  • three bears two of them look like theyre whispering to a third bear who looks chuffed to be the center of attention
  • In order to judge how people felt, the senator's office hired a firm to take a ______.
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Bee Cubed

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games