Swingle /(?)/

1. To dangle; to wave hanging. [Obs.]
2. To swing for pleasure. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

imp. & p. p. Swingled; p. pr. & vb. n. Swingling

1. To clean, as flax, by beating it with a swingle, so as to separate the coarse parts and the woody substance from it; to scutch.
2. To beat off the tops of without pulling up the roots; -- said of weeds. [Prov. Eng.]

1. A wooden instrument like a large knife, about two feet long, with one thin edge, used for beating and cleaning flax; a scutcher; -- called also swingling knife, swingling staff, and swingling wand.