Swingle \Swin"gle\, v. i. [Freq. of swing.] 1. To dangle; to wave hanging. [Obs.] --Johnson. [1913 Webster] 2. To swing for pleasure. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] [1913 Webster]
Swingle \Swin"gle\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Swingled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Swingling}.] [See {Swingel}.] 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. [1913 Webster] 2. To beat off the tops of without pulling up the roots; -- said of weeds. [Prov. Eng.] --Forby. [1913 Webster]
Swingle \Swin"gle\, n. 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}. [1913 Webster]