Also 6 swynge, 6–8 swindge; pres. pple. and ger. 6–8 swindging, 7 swindgeing, 6– swinging, 7– swingeing. [Later form of ME. SWENGE.]
1. trans. To beat, flog, whip, thrash. † Also with off. arch. or dial.
a. 1553. Udall, Royster D., II. iv. (Arb.), 38. I will rather haue my cote twentie times swinged, Than on the naughtie wag not to be auenged.
1595. Shaks., John, II. i. 288. Saint George that swindg’d the Dragon. Ibid. (1596), Tam. Shr., V. ii. 104. If they denie to come, Swinge me them soundly forth vnto their husbands.
1606. Holland, Sueton., 222. Hee was roiotous, wild and wanton: in so much as his father swindged him well and soundly for it.
1660. H. More, Myst. Godl., III. xiii. 85. These sad Ceremonies they also used in Peru, where they swinged themselves with stinging Nettles, and struck themselves over the shoulders with hard stones.
a. 1700. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, I Swing’d him off, I lay’d on and beat him well-favoredly.
1764. Foote, Mayor of G., I. I would so swinge and leather my lambkin.
1786. Burns, The Ordination, xi. See, see auld Orthodoxy’s faes She’s swingein thro’ the city.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, xi. We have swinged them as far as the Abbey-Gate.
1888. Doughty, Trav. Arabia Deserta, II. 232. I swinged him soundly in a moment and made all his back smart.
† b. fig. To chastise, castigate; to pay out, serve out. Obs.
1560. T. Wilson, Rhet., Prol. Hauyng been thus swinged, and restrained of libertie.
1636. Wentworth, in Carte, Ormonde (1735), III. 5. The proof was once clear,… and he a spirit that will deserve well to be swinged into the knowledge of himself and the duty he owes the state.
1690. Dryden, Amphitryon, I. ii. Jupiter can swinge you off, if you swear by him, and are forsworn.
1693. J. Dryden in Dryden’s Juvenal, XIV. (1697), 349. This very Rev’rend Leacher … swinges his own Vices in his Son.
1710. Dublin Examiner, 14 Dec., in Swift’s Wks. 1737, V. 118. When the Printer came last Week for his Copy, he brought along with him a Bundle of those Papers, which, in the Phrase of Whig Coffee-houses, have swinged off the Examiner.
1711. Swift, Jrnl. to Stella, 16 Oct. One Boyer, a French dog, has abused me…: the Secretary promises me to swinge him.
† c. ? To pillory (fig.). Obs. rare–1.
1546. Supplic. Poore Commons (E.E.T.S.), 69. When thei katch any thyng that soundeth to the contrary, it shall not escape so, we warrant you. It shalbe swynged in euery pulpyt wyth, this is the Kynges gratious wyll.
† d. To bear heavily upon. Obs. rare.
1681. Prideaux, Lett. (Camden), 96. The innkeeper … swinged them in their reckoneing most abominably, makeing them pay five times the price for every thing they had.
† e. slang. = SWIVE. See also quot. a. 1700.
1622. Fletcher, Beggar’s Bush, III. i. Give her cold jelly To take up her belly, And once a day swinge her again.
1688. Miége, Gt. Fr. Dict., To Swinge off,… il se dit aussi dans un Sens Vanerien.
a. 1700. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, He is Swing’d off, damnably Clapt.
† 2. To drink up or off, ‘toss off.’ Obs. slang.
a. 1529. Skelton, El. Rummyng, 568. She swynged vp a quarte At ones.
1570. B. Googe, Pop. Kingd., IV. 48. And cleane they swinge of euery cup.
1649. J. Taylor (Water P.), Wand. West, 7. Mine Host swing’d off halfe a pot to me.
3. To cut down with a scythe. dial.
1573. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 117. Swinge brembles & brakes.
1854. Miss Baker, Northampt. Gloss., Swinge, 2. To cut the nettles, &c. from hedges to make them neat.
† 4. To brandish, flourish; to lash (the tail, or something with the tail). Also transf. Obs.
1591. Sylvester, Du Bartas, I. vi. 410. The Lion … often swindging, with his sinnewy train, Somtimes his sides, somtimes the dusty plain. Ibid., vii. 507. Th’ Air corrupteth soon, except With sundry winds it oft be swing’d and swept.
1607. [B. Barnes], Devil’s Charter, V. iv. L j b. When I was a Scholler in Padua, faith then I could haue swingd a sword and a buckler.
1629. Milton, Nativity, xviii. Th’ old Dragon under ground … Swindges the scaly Horrour of his foulded tail.
† 5. To bear sway over. (After SWINGE sb.1 1.)
1593. G. Harvey, Pierce’s Super., 12. Had not affection otherwhiles swinged their reason, where reason should haue swayed their affection.
† 6. To whirl round (e.g., a wheel). Obs.
1548. Elyot, Roto,… to tourne a thyng lyke a whiele, to swynge about.
1561. T. Hoby, trans. Castiglione’s Courtyer, III. Ff iij. Like a whiele that longe swynged about with violence [etc.].
1612. Shelton, Quix., I. viii. 50. Their Sayles [sc. of windmills], that are swinged about by the Winde.
1677. Miége, Dict. Eng. Fr., Swinged, or turned about, roué, tourné all rouē.
† 7. intr. To have free scope or course, to indulge one’s inclination. (After SWINGE sb.1 2.)
1613. Chapman, Rev. Bussy D’Ambois, I. B j. To what will this declining Kingdome turne, Swindging in euery license [etc.]?
† 8. In combination with a noun in obj. relation, as swinge-bow (see 1 e); swinge-buckler = SWASHBUCKLER. Obs.
1579. Northbrooke, Dicing, 25 b. If these and such like lawes were executed iustlie … there would not be so manie … Blasphemers, & Swinge Buckelers.
1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., III. ii. 24. You had not foure such Swindge-bucklers in all the Innes of Court againe.
1675. Cotton, Burlesque upon B., 83. Is the old Letcher A Swinge-bow of so high renown, A Wench can’t sooner take him down?
