Also 7 faulter, foulter, 9 dial. faughter, fauther. [? a. OF. *faltrer (recorded form fautrer) to strike, beat.] trans. To thrash (corn) a second time in order to cleanse it and get rid of the awn or beard, etc.; hence, to cleanse.
1601. Holland, Pliny, XVIII. x. They haue much ado with it, to thresh it cleane and falter it from the huls and eiles.
1649. Blithe, Eng. Improv. Impr. (1652), 182. Then foulter and beat the husk again being exceeding well dryed in the Sun after the first thrashing.
1681. Houghton, Lett. Husbandry, 64. In choosing Barly … the Malster looks that it be … clean faltered from haines.
1788. in Marshall, E. Yorksh. Gloss.
1876. in Robinson, Whitby Gloss.
Hence Faltering vbl. sb. (in Comb.)
1847–78. Halliwell, Faltering-irons.
1869. Peacock, Lonsdale Gloss., Faughtering-iron, an iron used to knock off the beards of barley when thrashed.
