MEANING
An implement with a freely moving striking part attached to a handle, used for threshing or as a weapon.
Use it for
farm tools repurposed for defense; unpredictable swinging weapons; rural laborMake the moving joint create danger for wielder and opponent alike.
Words that belong together
- threshing flail
- swing a flail
- weapon flail
On the page
The farmer dropped his threshing flail when the riders arrived.
A flail struck the edge of the shield and swung past it.
He needed more space for the flail than the cramped passage allowed.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- flail
Usage notes
Primary category: fantasy. Agricultural flails and weapon forms differ; claims about widespread medieval ball-and-chain weapons are disputed. Noun: flail; plural flails.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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