flail (verb)
1flail — /fleɪl / (say flayl) noun 1. an instrument for threshing grain by hand, consisting of a staff or handle to one end of which is attached a freely swinging stick or bar. 2. Military an implement derived from the threshing flail and consisting of a… …
2flail — (n.) implement for threshing grain, c.1100, perhaps from an unrecorded O.E. *flegel, which probably represents W.Gmc. *flagil (Cf. M.Du., Low Ger. vlegel, O.H.G. flegel, Ger. flegel), a borrowing of L.L. flagellum winnowing tool, flail, from L.… …
3flail about — verb To wave ones arms (or upper body) about violently, rather like a flail. Barry continued to shout obscenities and to flail about in a strait jacket, finally succumbing to the effects of intravenously administered tranquilizers …
4flail — ► NOUN ▪ a tool or machine with a swinging action, used for threshing. ► VERB 1) swing wildly. 2) (flail around/about) flounder; struggle. ORIGIN Latin flagellum little whip …
5flail — verb ADVERB ▪ desperately, helplessly, wildly ▪ She ran along, her arms flailing wildly. ▪ He flailed around helplessly in the water, shouting ‘I can t swim!’ Flail is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑arm, ↑ …
6flail — verb 1) he fell headlong, his arms flailing Syn: wave, swing, thrash about, flap about 2) I was flailing about in the water Syn: flounder, struggle, thrash, writhe, splash 3) he flailed thei …
7flail — I. noun Etymology: Middle English fleil, flail, partly from Old English *flegel (whence Old English fligel), from Late Latin flagellum flail, from Latin, whip & partly from Anglo French flael, from Late Latin flagellum more at flagellate Date:… …
8flail — I noun an implement consisting of handle with a free swinging stick at the end; used in manual threshing (Freq. 1) • Hypernyms: ↑implement II verb 1. give a thrashing to; beat hard (Freq. 1) • Syn: ↑ …
9flail — [[t]fle͟ɪl[/t]] flails, flailing, flailed 1) V ERG If your arms or legs flail or if you flail them about, they wave about in an energetic but uncontrolled way. His arms were flailing in all directions... [V n] He gave a choked cry, flailed his… …
10flail — I UK [fleɪl] / US verb Word forms flail : present tense I/you/we/they flail he/she/it flails present participle flailing past tense flailed past participle flailed 1) [intransitive/transitive] to move your arms and legs about in an uncontrolled… …
