Hypertext Webster Gateway: "rascal"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Rascal \Ras`cal\, a.
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. --Shak.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Rascal \Ras"cal\, n. [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}, v.]
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. --Shak.
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.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
rascal
n 1: a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel [syn: {rogue}, {knave},
{rapscallion}, {scalawag}, {scallywag}, {varlet}]
2: one who is playfully mischievous [syn: {imp}, {scamp}, {monkey},
{rapscallion}, {scalawag}, {scallywag}]
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