Definition of flail - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
movementtr./intr. wave or swing vigorouslytr./intr.
- She flailed her arms to get attention.
2.
helpless effortintr. struggle ineffectuallyintr.
- She flailed against the restraints..
3.
toolstr. Dated beat using a swinging farm tooltr. Dated
- The farmer flailed the wheat to separate the grain.
Noun
1.
weaponryDated weapon with handle and swinging part used in combatDated
- The knight wielded a flail in battle.
2.
agricultureDated tool with handle and swinging stick for threshingDated
- The farmer used a flail to separate the grain.
Images of flail

weapon with handle and swinging part used in combat 
tool with handle and swinging stick for threshing
Expressions with flail
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move energetically in an uncontrolled way
The kids flail about in the pool, splashing water everywhere.
serious rib injury making part of the chest move separately
The accident caused a flail chest, making breathing difficult.
armored vehicle with chains to clear landmines
The flail tank led the convoy through the minefield.
Origin of flail
Old English, fligel (whip)
Terms with flail included in their meaning
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farming
swinging part of a flail
Examples of flail in a sentence
He flailed his legs after slipping on ice. He began to flail in the water. The bird flailed its wings frantically. Workers flailed the barley in the traditional manner. He flailed the rice stalks to loosen the grains. The museum displayed an ancient flail.
He crafted a replica of a medieval flail. He repaired the old flail for the museum display. The antique shop had a rare flail on sale.
View all translations of flail
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:agiter, fléau, ...
- German:wild herumfuchteln, Flegel, ...
- Italian:agitare, flagello, ...
- Spanish:agitar, mayal, ...
- Portuguese:agitar, mangual, ...
- Chinese:挥舞, 连枷, ...
- Japanese:振り回す, フレイル, ...
- Arabic:لَوَّحَ, مِقْمَع, ...
- Hebrew:לְהָנִיף, שֵׁבֶט, ...
- Russian:размахивать, цеп, ...
- Ukrainian:розмахувати, буздуган, ...
- Hindi:जोर से लहराना, फ्लेल, ...
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