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swinge1

[swinj]
verb (used with object), swinged, swinge·ing. British Dialect.
  1. to thrash; punish.
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Origin of swinge1

1250–1300; Middle English swengen to shake, smite, Old English swengan, causative of swingan to swing, or denominative derivative of Old English sweng a blow
Related formsswing·er [swin-jer] /ˈswɪn dʒər/, noun

swinge2

[swinj]
verb (used with object), swinged, swinge·ing.
  1. to singe.
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Origin of swinge2

First recorded in 1580–90; obscurely akin to singe
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for swinge

Historical Examples

  • Wherby it appereth that some sort of youth will oft haue his swinge, although it be in a halter.

    Chronicles (1 of 6): The Description of Britaine

    Raphaell Holinshed

British Dictionary definitions for swinge

swinge

verb swinges, swingeing, swinging or swinged
  1. (tr) archaic to beat, flog, or punish
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Word Origin

Old English swengan; related to Old Frisian swenga to drench, Gothic afswaggwjan to cause to sway; see swing
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012