to dangle; to wave hanging.-to swing for pleasure.-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.-to beat off the tops of without pulling up the roots; -- said of weeds.-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.