thresh

{ , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Thrashed p. pr. & vb. n. Thrashing. ] [ OE. þreschen, þreshen, to beat, AS. þerscan, þrescan; akin to D. dorschen, OD. derschen, G. dreschen, OHG. dreskan, Icel. þreskja, Sw. tröska, Dan. tærske, Goth. þriskan, Lith. traszketi to rattle, Russ. treskate to burst, crackle, tresk' a crash, OSlav. troska a stroke of lighting. Cf. Thresh. ] 1. To beat out grain from, as straw or husks; to beat the straw or husk of (grain) with a flail; to beat off, as the kernels of grain; as, to thrash wheat, rye, or oats; to thrash over the old straw. [ 1913 Webster ]

The wheat was reaped, thrashed, and winnowed by machines. H. Spencer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To beat soundly, as with a stick or whip; to drub. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ }, v. t. 1. To practice thrashing grain or the like; to perform the business of beating grain from straw; as, a man who thrashes well. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence, to labor; to toil; also, to move violently. [ 1913 Webster ]

I rather would be Maevius, thrash for rhymes,
Like his, the scorn and scandal of the times. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Thrasher. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ , n. 1. One who, or that which, thrashes grain; a thrashing machine. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) A large and voracious shark (Alopias vulpes), remarkable for the great length of the upper lobe of its tail, with which it beats, or thrashes, its prey. It is found both upon the American and the European coasts. Called also fox shark, sea ape, sea fox, slasher, swingle-tail, and thrasher shark. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Zool.) A name given to the brown thrush and other allied species. See Brown thrush. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sage thrasher. (Zool.) See under Sage. --
Thrasher whale (Zool.), the common killer of the Atlantic. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ 1913 Webster ]

n. Threshold. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. threswold, þreshwold, AS. þrescwald, þerscwald, þerscold, þrescold, fr. þrescan, þerscan, to thresh; akin to Icel. þreskjöde, þröskuldr, Sw. tröskel, Dan. tærskel. See Thrash. ] 1. The plank, stone, or piece of timber, which lies under a door, especially of a dwelling house, church, temple, or the like; the doorsill; hence, entrance; gate; door. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Fig.: The place or point of entering or beginning, entrance; outset; as, the threshold of life. [ 1913 Webster ]