swingling

swingling

1. present participle and gerund of swingle

swingling (plural swinglings)

1. (countable, uncountable) The act or process of beating flax in order to extract the fibres.
   • 1787, The American Museum, Or Universal Magazine:

     […] then lay over these sticks, either a clean old blanket, or, if that be not at hand, a quantity of the swinglings of flax […]