flogger

From flog +‎ -er. Compare Low German flogger (“a flail”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /flɒɡə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /flɑɡɚ/

flogger (plural floggers)

1. One who flogs.
   • 1820, Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow:

     How could the flogger of urchins be otherwise than animated and joyous?

   • 1964, Donald Lemen Clark, John Milton at St. Paul's School:

     The High Masters were as shrewd floggers as any.

2. A whip.
   • 1866, Tresham Gilbey, Baily's Magazine of Sports and Pastimes, volume 11, page 163:

     But the "Sac" party imagines that if the boy had not dropped his whip, their horse would have won, for he was so partial to his flogger, that the Treasure in all probability would have stopped to it, and Custance been just enabled to do him.

   1. (BDSM) A lightweight whip with multiple lashes.
      • 2005, Savanna Samson, Vamp:

        Savanna walked around the stock, unhooking her flogger from her belt.

3. (theater) A handle with strips of cloth attached, used for beating away charcoal dust etc.
   • 2012, Susan Crabtree, Peter Beudert, Scenic Art for the Theatre: History, Tools and Techniques, page 303:

     Schlepitchka is a texturing trick done by twirling a feather duster or flogger around gently and dabbing it on the surface of the scenery between each twirl of the tool so that the splayed pattern prints on the scenery.