Webster's 1828 Dictionary
SWINGLING
ppr. Beating and cleaning, as flax.
SWINGLING-KNIFE, SWINGLE
n.A wooden instrument like a large knife, about two feet long, with one thin edge, used for cleaning flax of the shives.
SWINGLING-TOW
n.The coarse part of flax, separated from the finer by swingling and hatcheling.
Webster's 1913 Dictionary
SWINGLING
SWINGLING Swin "gling, a. & n.
Defn: from Swingle, v. t. Swingling tow, the coarse part of flax, separated from the finer by swingling and hatcheling.
The Wordsmith Dictionary