flail

[ fleyl ]

/ fleɪl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR flail ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an instrument for threshing grain, consisting of a staff or handle to one end of which is attached a freely swinging stick or bar.

a similar instrument used as a weapon of war.

verb (used with or without object)

to beat or swing with or as if with a flail.

Origin of flail

before 1100; Middle English fleil (noun), Old English flighel (probably misspelling of *flegil), cognate with Dutch vlegel,German Flegel<West Germanic *flagil-<Late Latin flagellum flail, Latin: whip, scourge. See flagellum

Words nearby flail

flag up, flag-waver, flag-waving, Flagyl, Flaherty, flail, flail chest, flail joint, flair, flak, flake

Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for flail

He begins to flail and exhaust himself before submerging for good.
Whatever You Do Someone Will Die. A Short Story About Impossible Choices in Iraq|Nathan Bradley Bethea|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The younger boy has gone under the river, and the girl continues to flail in the older boy's arms.
Whatever You Do Someone Will Die. A Short Story About Impossible Choices in Iraq|Nathan Bradley Bethea|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
My wife, at least, enjoys watching me flail about on our elliptical.
23andMe and Me: Why Policymakers Should Set the Genetic Testing Company Free|Charles C. Johnson|February 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He is going to have to work hard not to flail around aimlessly, following the lead of congressional Democrats.
Obama’s Second-Term Crisis|David Freedlander|January 27, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Watching them squirm is more fun than watching Romney and Paul Ryan flail away.
Michael Tomasky on the GOP’s Self-Delusion Syndrome|Michael Tomasky|September 27, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The barn rings with the heavy strokes of the flail, swung in alternate succession by the veteran and his grandson.
The Knickerbocker, Vol. 22, No. 5, November 1843|Various
So,” says Tom to the King, “will you let me have the other half of the princess if I bring you the flail?
The Irish Fairy Book|Various
The thresher left down the flail, but when Owen took a hold with his two hands, the crane went from him laughing and mocking.
More Celtic Fairy Tales|Various
"I'm for fighting it out," said Titus, whisking the poker round his head like a flail in action.
Rookwood|William Harrison Ainsworth
Instead of the flail, we take the sheaf in the hand, and whip it across a bench in a close room until the rice leaves the straw.
The Commercial Products of the Vegetable Kingdom|P. L. Simmonds

British Dictionary definitions for flail

flail

/ (fleɪl) /

noun

an implement used for threshing grain, consisting of a wooden handle with a free-swinging metal or wooden bar attached to it

a weapon so shaped used in the Middle Ages

verb

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

to move or be moved like a flail; thresh aboutwith arms flailing

Word Origin for flail

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for flail

flail

[ flāl ]

v.

To move vigorously or erratically; thrash about.

To strike or lash out violently.

单词	flail
释义	flail [ fleyl ] / fleɪl / SEE SYNONYMS FOR flail ON THESAURUS.COM noun an instrument for threshing grain, consisting of a staff or handle to one end of which is attached a freely swinging stick or bar. a similar instrument used as a weapon of war. verb (used with or without object) to beat or swing with or as if with a flail. Origin of flail before 1100; Middle English fleil (noun), Old English flighel (probably misspelling of flegil), cognate with Dutch vlegel,German Flegel<West Germanic flagil-<Late Latin flagellum flail, Latin: whip, scourge. See flagellum Words nearby flail flag up, flag-waver, flag-waving, Flagyl, Flaherty, flail, flail chest, flail joint, flair, flak, flake Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020 Example sentences from the Web for flail He begins to flail and exhaust himself before submerging for good. Whatever You Do Someone Will Die. A Short Story About Impossible Choices in Iraq\|Nathan Bradley Bethea\|August 31, 2014\|DAILY BEAST The younger boy has gone under the river, and the girl continues to flail in the older boy's arms. Whatever You Do Someone Will Die. A Short Story About Impossible Choices in Iraq\|Nathan Bradley Bethea\|August 31, 2014\|DAILY BEAST My wife, at least, enjoys watching me flail about on our elliptical. 23andMe and Me: Why Policymakers Should Set the Genetic Testing Company Free\|Charles C. Johnson\|February 4, 2014\|DAILY BEAST He is going to have to work hard not to flail around aimlessly, following the lead of congressional Democrats. Obama’s Second-Term Crisis\|David Freedlander\|January 27, 2013\|DAILY BEAST Watching them squirm is more fun than watching Romney and Paul Ryan flail away. Michael Tomasky on the GOP’s Self-Delusion Syndrome\|Michael Tomasky\|September 27, 2012\|DAILY BEAST The barn rings with the heavy strokes of the flail, swung in alternate succession by the veteran and his grandson. The Knickerbocker, Vol. 22, No. 5, November 1843\|Various So,” says Tom to the King, “will you let me have the other half of the princess if I bring you the flail? The Irish Fairy Book\|Various The thresher left down the flail, but when Owen took a hold with his two hands, the crane went from him laughing and mocking. More Celtic Fairy Tales\|Various "I'm for fighting it out," said Titus, whisking the poker round his head like a flail in action. Rookwood\|William Harrison Ainsworth Instead of the flail, we take the sheaf in the hand, and whip it across a bench in a close room until the rice leaves the straw. The Commercial Products of the Vegetable Kingdom\|P. L. Simmonds British Dictionary definitions for flail flail / (fleɪl) / noun an implement used for threshing grain, consisting of a wooden handle with a free-swinging metal or wooden bar attached to it a weapon so shaped used in the Middle Ages verb (tr) to beat or thrash with or as if with a flail to move or be moved like a flail; thresh aboutwith arms flailing Word Origin for flail C12 fleil, ultimately from Late Latin flagellum flail, from Latin: whip Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Words related to flail thrash, smash, smack, bash, knock, thwack, pummel, club, sock, maltreat, batter, lash, hit, whale, flog, slug Medical definitions for flail flail [ flāl ] v. To move vigorously or erratically; thrash about. To strike or lash out violently. The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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flail

noun

verb (used with or without object)

Origin of flail

Words nearby flail

Example sentences from the Web for flail

British Dictionary definitions for flail

noun

verb

Word Origin for flail

Words related to flail

Medical definitions for flail

v.