To beat or whip; to drub.
To separate the woody fibre from (flax, hemp, etc.) by beating; to swingle.
2005, John Martin, Warren Leonard, David Stamp, and Richard Waldren, Principles of Field Crop Production (4th Edition), section 32.10 “Processing Fiber Flax”, the title of subsection 32.10.3 “Scutching”.
The separation of the woody shives from flax, hemp, and jute fibres by beating with a scutch.