Added 9 October 2026
rascal
/ˈɹɑːskl̩/ noun
In Latin: furcifer, furcifera, verberō First recorded: 1461 Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about rascal at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A deceitful and unreliable scoundrel.
- One who is playfully mischievous.
Origin
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 *rasicō (“to scrape”). The singular form is first attested in 1461; the present extended sense of "low, dishonest person" is from early 1586.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)