vi to swing for pleasure.
2. swingle ·vi to dangle; to wave hanging.
3. swingle ·vt to beat off the tops of without pulling up the roots;
said of weeds.
4. swingle ·vt 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.
5. swingle ·noun 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.