Swingle \Swin"gle\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Swingled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Swingling}.] [See {Swingel}.] 1. 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. 2. To beat off the tops of without pulling up the roots; -- said of weeds. [Prov. Eng.] --Forby.