Fling (flĭng), v. t. [imp. & p. p.Flung (flŭng); p. pr. & vb. n.Flinging.] [OE. flingen, flengen, to rush, hurl; cf. Icel. flengia to whip, ride furiously, OSw. flenga to strike, Sw. flänga to romp, Dan. flenge to slash.] 1. To cast, send, to throw from the hand; to hurl; to dart; to emit with violence as if thrown from the hand; as, to fing a stone into the pond.
'T is Fate that flings the dice: and, as she flings,
Of kings makes peasants, and of peasants kings. Dryden.
He... like Jove, his lighting flung. Dryden.
I know thy generous temper well.
Fling but the appearance of dishonor on it,
It straight takes fire. Addison.
2. To shed forth; to emit; to scatter.
The sun begins to fling
His flaring beams. Milton.
Every beam new transient colors flings. Pope.
3. To throw; to hurl; to throw off or down; to prostrate; hence, to baffle; to defeat; as, to fling a party in litigation.
His horse started, flung him, and fell upon him. Walpole.
To fling about, to throw on all sides; to scatter. — To fling away, to reject; to discard.
Cromwell, I charge thee, fling away ambition. Shak.
—To fling down. (a) To throw to the ground; esp., to throw in defiance, as formerly knights cast a glove into the arena as a challenge.
This question so flung down before the guests,...
Was handed over by consent of all
To me who had not spoken. Tennyson.
(b) To overturn; to demolish; to ruin. — To fling in, to throw in; not to charge in an account; as, in settling accounts, one party flings in a small sum, or a few days' work. — To fling off, to baffle in the chase; to defeat of prey; also, to get rid of. Addison. — To fling open, to throw open; to open suddenly or with violence; as, to fling open a door. — To fling out, to utter; to speak in an abrupt or harsh manner; as, to fling out hard words against another. — To fling up, to relinquish; to abandon; as, to fling up a design.