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🪓 A fiber tool 🪓 To beat fibers 🚜 A harness bar
swingle

swingle

9.9
A wooden bar that joins and balances the harness straps of two animals pulling a cart
  • noun
  • /ˈswɪŋɡəl/
  • Archaic
translation icon : yugo
  • Without a sturdy swingle, the harness would not balance properly between the two horses.

Examples

  • He checked the swingle before setting out to plow the field.

  • The farmer replaced the old swingle on the harness.

  • The blacksmith crafted a new swingle for the farmer's wagon.

  • I need to buy new swingles for my cart.

  • The farmer replaced the worn-out swingle to ensure the harness functioned correctly.

  • To prepare the cart for the journey, he inspected the swingle for any damage.

  • A strong swingle is essential for properly connecting the harness to the horses.

Synonyms

singletree
vsswingle
  • Specialized
9.9

A horizontal bar that attaches a working animal to a cart or plow and shares the pull

is the same bar but the key specifies wooden construction
swingletree
vsswingle
  • Archaic
9.9

A bar that connects a working horse's harness to a cart to spread the pulling force

is broader, applying to draught animals rather than only horses

Surface Forms

swingle singular
wingles plural

Etymology

Swingle comes from an older name swingletree, a wooden bar that could 'swing' to share and balance the pull between two animals. That's why a swingle is the crossbar in a harness that connects and balances the traces.