Flail

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Flail, n. [L. flagellum whip, scourge, in LL., a threshing flail: cf. OF. flael, flaiel, F. fléau. See Flagellum.].

•  An instrument for threshing or beating grain from the ear by hand, consisting of a wooden staff or handle, at the end of which a stouter and shorter pole or club, called a swipe, is so hung as to swing freely.  [1913 Webster]

  "His shadowy flail hath threshed the corn."  [1913 Webster]
•  An ancient military weapon, like the common flail, often having the striking part armed with rows of spikes, or loaded.  Fairholt.  [1913 Webster]

  "No citizen thought himself safe unless he carried under his coat a small flail, loaded with lead, to brain the Popish assassins."  [1913 Webster]

THESAURUS

Flail

bang, baste, bastinado, batter, beat, belabor, belt, birch, buffet, cane, club, cowhide, cudgel, cut, cut and thrust, drub, feint, flagellate, flail at, flail away at, flap, flog, fustigate, give a whipping, give the stick, hammer, hit at, horsewhip, knock, knout, lace, lambaste, larrup, lash, lash out at, lay on, let drive at, let fly at, lunge at, maul, paste, patter, pelt, pistol-whip, poke at, pommel, pound, pulverize, pummel, rap, rawhide, scourge, sledgehammer, smite, spank, strap, strike at, strike out at, stripe, swing at, swing on, swinge, switch, thrash, thresh, thrust at, thump, trounce, truncheon, wallop, whale, whip, whop

ROGET THESAURUS

Flail

Impulse

N impulse, sudden thought, impromptu, improvisation, inspiration, flash, spurt, improvisatore, creature of impulse, extemporaneous, impulsive, indeliberate, snap, improvised, improvisate, improvisatory, unpremeditated, unmeditated, improvise, unprompted, unguided, natural, unguarded, spontaneous, instinctive, extempore, extemporaneously, offhand, impromptu, a limproviste, improviso, on the spur of the moment, on the spur of the occasion, impulse, impulsion, impetus, momentum, push, pulsion, thrust, shove, jog, jolt, brunt, booming, boost, throw, explosion, propulsion, percussion, concussion, collision, occursion, clash, encounter, cannon, carambole, appulse, shock, crash, bump, impact, elan, charge, beating, blow, dint, stroke, knock, tap, rap, slap, smack, pat, dab, fillip, slam, bang, hit, whack, thwack, cuff, squash, dowse, swap, whap, punch, thump, pelt, kick, punce, calcitration, ruade, arietation, cut, thrust, lunge, yerk, carom, carrom, clip, jab, plug, sidewinder, sidewipe, sideswipe, hammer, sledge hammer, mall, maul, mallet, flail, ram, rammer, battering ram, monkey, pile-driving engine, punch, bat, cant hook, cudgel, ax, dynamics, seismometer, accelerometer, earthquake detector, impelling, impulsive, impellent, booming, dynamic, dynamical, impelled, a hit, a very palpable hit.