Swingdevil
(Swing"dev`il) n. (Zoöl.) [So named from its swift flight and dark color, which give it an uncanny
appearance.] The European swift. [Prov. Eng.]
Swinge
(Swinge) v. & n. See Singe. [Obs.] Spenser.
Swinge
(Swinge), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Swinged (swinjd); p. pr. & vb. n. Swingeing ] [OE. swengen,
AS. swengan to shake, causative of swingan. See Swing.]
1. To beat soundly; to whip; to chastise; to punish.
I had swinged him soundly.
Shak.
And swinges his own vices in his son.
C. Dryden. 2. To move as a lash; to lash. [Obs.]
Swinges the scaly horror of his folded tail.
Milton. Swinge
(Swinge), n.
1. The sweep of anything in motion; a swinging blow; a swing. [Obs.] Waller.
2. Power; sway; influence. [Obs.]
Swingebuckler
(Swinge"buc`kler) n. A swashbuckler; a bully; a roisterer. [Obs.] Shak.
Swingeing
(Swinge"ing), a. Huge; very large. [Colloq.] Arbuthnot. Byron. — Swinge"ing*ly, adv.
Dryden.
Swingel
(Swin"gel) n. [AS. swingele whip, scourge. See Swing.] The swinging part of a flail which
falls on the grain in thrashing; the swiple.
Swinger
(Swing"er) n. One who swings or whirls.
Swinger
(Swin"ger) n.
1. One who swinges.
2. Anything very large, forcible, or astonishing. [Obs. or Colloq.] Herrick.
Swingle
(Swin"gle) v. i. [Freq. of swing.]
1. To dangle; to wave hanging. [Obs.] Johnson.
2. To swing for pleasure. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
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.
2. To beat off the tops of without pulling up the roots; — said of weeds. [Prov. Eng.] Forby.
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.
