Feague

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To strike someone repeatedly with a lash or rod as a form of punishment, an old and now rarely used verb
2. An archaic verb meaning to thrash or flog a person or animal with a whip or switch
3. To beat or lash out at someone with a whip, a dated term seldom heard in modern speech

Etymology: The verb "feague" is tied to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to clean, to adorn," which passed into Proto-Germanic as "faginōną," meaning "to decorate, make beautiful." Old Dutch "fegōn" meant "to cleanse," and Dutch "vegen" came to mean "to sweep or strike." The same root survives in German "fegen" and Danish "feje," both meaning "to sweep." A less certain thread links "feague" to a noun. Dutch "feeks," probably related to "vegen," may be its source, and it may connect to Middle English "vecke," meaning "old woman." The link is possible rather than proven, so it is best read as a suggestion.