Hypertext Webster Gateway: "pellmell"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Pall-mall \Pall`-mall"\, n. [OF. palemail, It. pallamagio; palla
a ball (of German origin, akin to E. ball) + magio hammer,
fr. L. malleus. See lst {Ball}, and {Mall} a beetle.]
A game formerly common in England, in which a wooden ball was
driven with a mallet through an elevated hoop or ring of
iron. The name was also given to the mallet used, to the
place where the game was played, and to the street, in
London, still called Pall Mall. [Written also {pail-mail} and
{pell-mell}.] --Sir K. Digby. Evelyn.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Pell-mell \Pell`-mell"\, n.
See {Pall-mall}.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Pellmell \Pell`mell"\, adv. [F. p[^e]le-m[^e]le, prob. fr. pelle
a shovel + m[^e]ler to mix, as when different kinds of grain
are heaped up and mixed with a shovel. See {Pell} shovel,
{Medley}.]
In utter confusion; with confused violence. ``Men, horses,
chariots, crowded pellmell.'' --Milton.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
pell-mell
adj : with undue hurry and confusion; "a helter-skelter kind of
existence with never a pause"; "a pell-mell dash for
the train" [syn: {helter-skelter}]
adv : in a wild or reckless manner; "dashing harum-scarum all over
the place"; "running pell-mell up the stairs" [syn: {harum-scarum}]
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