| flail | 1. An instrument for threshing or beating grain from the ear by hand, consisting of a wooden staff or handle, at the end of which a stouter and shorter pole or club, called a swipe, is so hung as to swing freely. "His shadowy flail hath threshed the corn." (Milton) 2. An ancient military weapon, like the common flail, often having the striking part armed with rows of spikes, or loaded. "No citizen thought himself safe unless he carried under his coat a small flail, loaded with lead, to brain the Popish assassins." (Macaulay) Origin: L. Flagellum whip, scourge, in LL, a threshing flail: cf. OF. Flael, flaiel, F. Fleau. See Flagellum. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| flail chest | <orthopaedics> An unstable chest wall after fractures of the sternum and/or ribs. (27 Sep 1997) |
| flail joint | A joint with loss of function caused by loss of ability to stabilise the joint in any plane within its normal range of motion. (05 Mar 2000) |