To whip or scourge; to strike repeatedly with a whip or flagellum-like instrument.
From 'en-' plus Latin 'flagellum' (whip), combined with the suffix '-ate' to form a verb. 'Flagellum' is the root of 'flagellant' and means literally a whip.
In biology, flagella are whip-like structures on microorganisms that help them swim—but this verb comes from the darker meaning of flagellum as an actual whip used for punishment.
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