flail
//fleɪl//
Verb
flailInfinitive
flailPresent tense
flailedPast tense
flailedPast participle
flailingPresent participle
flailsThird-person singular
1
To wave or swing wildly and uncontrollably.
The drowning man flailed his arms in the water.
2
To beat or strike with or as if with a flail.
The farmer flailed the wheat to separate the grain from the stalks.
3
To struggle or flounder helplessly, especially when trying to accomplish something.
The new manager flailed for months trying to turn the company around.
Noun
flailSingular
flailsPlural
1
A manual threshing tool consisting of a wooden handle with a free-swinging stick attached, used for beating grain to separate it from the chaff.
The farmer used a flail to thresh the wheat by hand.
2
A weapon similar to the threshing tool, consisting of a handle with a spiked ball or bar attached by a chain.
The knight swung his flail at the enemy.