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Webster 1913 Edition

Rascal

Ras′cal

(răs′kal)
,
Noun.
[OE.
rascaille
rabble, probably from an OF.
racaille
, F.
racaille
the rabble, rubbish, probably akin to F.
racler
to scrape, (assumed) LL.
rasiculare
,
rasicare
, fr. L.
radere
,
rasum
. See
Rase
,
Verb.
]
1.
One of the rabble; a low, common sort of person or creature; collectively, the rabble; the common herd; also, a lean, ill-conditioned beast, esp. a deer.
[Obs.]
He smote of the people seventy men, and fifty thousand of the
rascal
.
Wyclif (1 Kings [1 Samuel] vi. 19).
Poor men alone? No, no; the noblest deer hath them [horns] as huge as the
rascal
.
Shakespeare
2.
A mean, trickish fellow; a base, dishonest person; a rogue; a scoundrel; a trickster.
For I have sense to serve my turn in store,
And he’s a
rascal
who pretends to more.
Dryden.

Ras′cal

,
Adj.
Of or pertaining to the common herd or common people; low; mean; base.
“The rascal many.”
Spencer.
“The rascal people.”
Shak.
While she called me
rascal
fiddler.
Shakespeare

Webster 1828 Edition

Rascal

RAS'CAL

,
Noun.
A mean fellow; a scoundrel; in modern usage, a trickish dishonest fellow; a rogue; particularly applied to men and boys guilty of the lesser crimes, and indicating less enormity or guilt than villain.
I have sense to serve my turn in store, and he's a rascal who pretends to more.

RAS'CAL

, a.
1.
Lean; as a rascal deer.
2.
Mean; low.

Definition 2024

Rascal

Rascal

See also: rascal

English

Proper noun

Rascal

  1. A surname​.

rascal

rascal

See also: Rascal

English

Noun

rascal ‎(plural rascals)

  1. A dishonest person; a rogue; a scoundrel; a trickster.
  2. A cheeky person or creature; a troublemaker.
    That little rascal bit me!
    If you have deer in the area, you may have to put a fence around your garden to keep the rascals out.
  3. A member of a criminal gang in Papua New Guinea.

Synonyms

Translations

Adjective

rascal ‎(comparative more rascal, superlative most rascal)

  1. (archaic) Low; lowly, part of or belonging to the common rabble.

Translations

Derived terms

Anagrams

Etymology

Recorded since c.1330, as Middle English rascaile ‎(“people of the lowest class, rabble of an army”), derived from 12th century Old French rascaille ‎(“outcast, rabble”) (modern French racaille), perhaps from rasque ‎(“mud, filth, scab, dregs”), from Vulgar Latin *rasicare ‎(“to scrape”). The singular form is first attested in 1461; the present extended sense of "low, dishonest person" is from early 1586.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈɹɑːskəl/, /ˈɹɑːskl̩/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈɹæskəl/, [ˈɹæskɪ̈l], [ˈɹæskl̩]
  • Rhymes: -ɑːskəl, -æskəl

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