Definition of FLAIL

flail

Plural: flails

Noun

  • an implement consisting of handle with a free swinging stick at the end; used in manual threshing
  • A tool used for threshing, consisting of a long handle (handstock) with a shorter stick (swipple or swingle) attached with a short piece of chain, thong or similar material.
  • A weapon which has the (usually spherical) striking part attached to the handle with a flexible joint such as a chain.

Verb

Verb Forms: flailed, flailing, flails

  • To swing or wave wildly; to beat with a flail.
  • give a thrashing to; beat hard
  • move like a flail; thresh about
    • "Her arms were flailing"
  • To beat using a flail or similar implement.
  • To wave or swing vigorously
  • To thresh.
  • To move like a flail.

Examples

  • He began to FLAIL his arms in frustration after drawing another ’Q’ with no ’U’.
  • He was flailing wildly, but didn't land a blow.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English flayle, from earlier fleil, fleyl, fleȝȝl, from Old English fligel, *flegel (“flail”), from Proto-West Germanic *flagil, of uncertain origin. Cognate with Scots flail (“a thresher's flail”), West Frisian fleil, flaaiel (“flail”), Dutch vlegel (“flail”), German Flegel (“flail”). Possibly a native Germanic word from Proto-Germanic *flagilaz (“whip”), from Proto-Germanic *flag-, *flah- (“to whip, beat”), from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂k- (“to beat, hit, strike; weep”); compare Old Norse flaga (“sudden attack, bout”), Lithuanian plàkti (“to whip, lash, flog”), Ancient Greek πληγνύναι (plēgnúnai, “strike, hit, encounter”), Latin plangō (“lament”, i.e. “beat one's breast”) + Proto-Germanic *-ilaz (instrumental suffix). If so, related also to English flag, flack, flacker.
Alternatively, Proto-West Germanic *flagil may be an early borrowing of Latin flagellum (“winnowing tool, thresher”), diminutive of flagrum (“scourge, whip”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰlag-, *bʰlaǵ- (“to beat”); compare Old Norse blekkja (“to beat, mistreat”). Compare also Old French flael (“flail”), Walloon flayea (“flail”) (locally pronounced "flai"), Italian flagello (“scourge, whip, plague”).

Scrabble Score: 8

flail: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
flail: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
flail: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 10

flail: valid Words With Friends Word