To wear out, to vanquish.
a. 1848. Either flax out your opponent, or give nature special fits in the undertaking.—Dow, Jun., ‘Patent Sermons,’ i. 54.
1866. I think to flax for to beat [is American].—Lowell, Introd. to ‘Biglow Papers.’ (N.E.D.)
1903. ‘Dialect Notes,’ ii. 351, quotes flaxed out as an Ohio term for worn out.
