Forms: see SWINGLE and TREE. [f. SWINGLE sb. + TREE sb.]
1. A board used in dressing flax or hemp: = swing-stock, swingle-stock (see SWING- 2 b, SWINGLE-). Also called swingletree block. Swingletree dagger = swing-knife (SWING- 2 b), SWINGLE sb. 1. Obs. or dial.
c. 1462. Wright’s Chaste Wife, 528. One of hem knockyd lyne, A-nothyr swyngelyd good and fyne By-fore the swyngyll tre.
1615. Markham, Eng. Housew., II. v. (1668), 133. Alter your Hemp and flax is brak’t, you shall then swingle it, which is upon a swingle tree blocke made of an half inch boord about four foot aboue ground, and set upon a strong foot or stock. Ibid., 134. A piece of Wood called the Swingletree dagger.
1825. Jamieson, Swingle-tree, the stock over which flax is scutched, Dumfr.; synon. Swingling-stock.
2. In a plow, harrow, carriage, etc., a crossbar, pivoted at the middle, to which the traces are fastened, giving freedom of movement to the shoulders of the horse or other draught-animal.
An altered form SINGLE-TREE, due to association with double-tree (= the crosspiece to which the swingletree is attached), is common in U.S.
1483. Cath. Angl., 375/1. A Swyngilstre (A. Swyngyltre) of a harowe, protectorium.
1523. Fitzherb., Husb., § 15. The horses … must haue … a swyngletre to holde the tresses abrode, and a togewith to be bytwene the swyngletre and the harowe.
1620. Markham, Farew. Husb., II. xiii. (1668), 61. To the big end of this harrow, you shall fix a strong rope with a swingle-tree.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. viii. 336/1. The Swingle Tree of a Coach Pole … fastned by … pinns to the Coach Pole, to the which Horses are fastned by their Harnish when there is more then two to draw the Coach.
1765. A. Dickson, Treat. Agric. (ed. 2), II. v. 200. It [sc. the bridle or muzzle of the plough] has notches by which the cleek of the swingle-tree may be fixed.
a. 1817. W. Muir, Poems (1818), 8. The very pettle, riest an’ seath,… The swingle-trees an’ a’ the graith.
1844. H. Stephens, Bk. Farm, I. 417. To the shackle is appended the swivel-hook, to which is attached the main draught-bar, or swingle-tree of the yoke.
1859. F. A. Griffiths, Artil. Man. (1862), 104. One swingle-tree between the footboard and the splinter bar.
1889. Gretton, Memory’s Harkback, 115. His leaders … wrenched the swingletrees off the pole, and the uncoupled reins out of the coachman’s hands.
attrib. 1819. T. Radcliff, Agric. E. & W. Flanders, x. § 2. 115. The extremity of the handle … strikes against, and rests upon the swingle-tree bar.
1852. Burn, Naval & Milit. Dict. (1863), Swingle-tree clasp, cramp, clip or socket.
3. = SWINGLE sb. 2. dial.
1858. Simmonds, Dict. Trade, Swingle-tree,… in Scotland the striking end of a flail.
1907. T. M. Allison, in Country-Side, 16 Nov., 27/1. The handle [of the flail] … was held in the hands, and the beater, or ‘swingle-tree’ was swung round behind the head.
