1. (v. i.) To dangle; to wave hanging.

2. (v. i.) To swing for pleasure.

3. (v. t.) 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.

4. (v. t.) To beat off the tops of without pulling up the roots; -- said of weeds.

5. (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.