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.
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.
Swin"gle*bar` (?), n. A swingletree. De Quincey.
Swin"gle*tail` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The thrasher, or fox shark. See
Thrasher.
Swin"gle*tree` (?), n. [So named in allusion to its swinging. See
Swingle, v. i., and cf. Swingtree.] A whiffletree, or whippletree. See
Singletree.
Swin"gling (?), a. & n. from Swingle, v. t.
Swingling tow, the coarse part of flax, separated from the finer by
swingling and hatcheling.
Swing"tree` (?), n. The bar of a carriage to which the traces are
fastened; the whiffletree.
Swin"ish (?), a. Of or pertaining to swine; befitting swine; like
swine; hoggish; gross; beasty; as, a swinish drunkard or sot. "Swinish
gluttony." Milton. -- Swin"ish*ly, adv. -- Swin"ish*ness, n.
Swink (?), v. i. [imp. Swank (?), Swonk (&?;); p. p. Swonken (?); p.
pr. & vb. n. Swinking.] [AS. swincan, akin to swingan. See Swing.] To
labor; to toil; to salve. [Obs. or Archaic]
Or swink with his hands and labor.
Chaucer.
For which men swink and sweat incessantly.
Spenser.