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Flail vs Flagellate - What's the difference?

flail | flagellate | Related terms |

As nouns the difference between flail and flagellate

is that flail is a tool used for threshing, consisting of a long handle with a shorter stick attached with a short piece of chain, thong or similar material while flagellate is any organism that has flagella.

As verbs the difference between flail and flagellate

is that flail is to beat using a flail or similar implement while flagellate is to whip or scourge.

As an adjective flagellate is

resembling a whip.

flail

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A tool used for threshing, consisting of a long handle with a shorter stick attached with a short piece of chain, thong or similar material.
  • A weapon which has the (usually spherical) striking part attached to the handle with a flexible joint such as a chain.
  • Quotations
    * 1631 — *: When in one night, ere glimpse of morn,
    His shadowy flail hath threshed the corn
    That ten day-labourers could not end; * 1816 — *: Huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail,
    Or chaffy grain beneath the thresher's flail * 1842 — *: On him alone the curse of Cain
    Fell, like a flail on the garnered grain,
    And struck him to the earth! * 1879 — , ch V *: If the farmer must use the spade because he has not capital enough for a plough, the sickle instead of the reaping machine, the flail instead of the thresher...

    Coordinate terms

    *(weapon) nunchaku

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To beat using a flail or similar implement.
  • To wave or swing vigorously
  • *
  • * 1937 , ,
  • He stopped in his tracks – then, flailing his arms wildly in the air, began to stagger backwards.
  • To thresh.
  • To move like a flail.
  • He was flailing wildly, but didn't land a blow.

    Synonyms

    * thrash

    See also

    * (wikipedia "flail") *

    flagellate

    English

    Verb

  • To whip or scourge.
  • Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Resembling a whip.
  • (biology) Having flagella.
  • Noun

    (en noun)
  • (biology) Any organism that has flagella.