swingle

/ˈswɪŋɡəl/
verb
  1. To beat or clean flax or hemp using a swingle.
    • They would swingle the flax until the fibers were soft and clean.
    • He learned to swingle hemp from his grandfather.
    • After harvesting, the workers swingled the plants by hand.
noun
  1. A tool used for beating flax or hemp to separate the fibers from the woody parts.
    • In the old days, a swingle was essential for processing linen.
    • The farmer used a swingle to clean the flax stalks.
    • She held the swingle firmly and struck the hemp fibers.
Synonyms
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