rascal

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: ras=cal

CIDE DICTIONARY

rascal, 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.].

•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "He smote of the people seventy men, and fifty thousand of the rascal."  [1913 Webster]

  "Poor men alone? No, no; the noblest deer hath them [horns] as huge as the rascal."  [1913 Webster]
•  A mean, trickish fellow; a base, dishonest person; a rogue; a scoundrel; a trickster.  [1913 Webster]

  "For I have sense to serve my turn in store,
  And he's a rascal who pretends to more."  [1913 Webster]

rascal, a. 

 Of or pertaining to the common herd or common people; low; mean; base.  [1913 Webster]
"While she called me rascal fiddler."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

rascal, n. often joc. a dishonest or mischievous person, esp. a child.

Derivative

rascaldom n. rascalism n. rascality n. (pl. -ies). rascally adj.

Etymology

ME f. OF rascaille rabble, prob. ult. f. L radere ras- scrape

DEVIL DICTIONARY

rascal

n. A fool considered under another aspect.

THESAURUS

rascal

bad boy, bastard, blackguard, blighter, booger, bounder, buffoon, bugger, cad, cutup, dastard, devil, elf, enfant terrible, funmaker, good-for-nothing, heel, hood, hoodlum, hooligan, imp, joker, jokester, knave, little devil, little monkey, little rascal, lowlife, minx, mischief, mischief-maker, miscreant, pixie, practical joker, prankster, precious rascal, puck, rapscallion, rogue, rotter, rowdy, ruffian, scalawag, scamp, scapegrace, scoundrel, shyster, sneak, spalpeen, villain, wag, wastrel, wretch

ROGET THESAURUS

rascal

Knave

N knave, rogue, Scapin, rascal, Lazarillo de Tormes, bad man, blackguard, barrater, barrator, shyster, traitor, betrayer, archtraitor, conspirator, Judas, Catiline, reptile, serpent, snake in the grass, wolf in sheep's clothing, sneak, Jerry Sneak, squealer, tell-tale, mischief-maker, trimmer, fence-sitter, renegade, truant, recreant, sycophant.

Bad Man

N bad man, wrongdoer, worker of iniquity, evildoer, sinner, the wicked, bad example, villain, rascal, scoundrel, miscreant, budmash, caitiff, wretch, reptile, viper, serpent, cockatrice, basilisk, urchin, tiger, monster, devil, devil incarnate, demon in human shape, Nana Sahib, hellhound, hellcat, rakehell, bad woman, jade, Jezebel, scamp, scapegrace, rip, runagate, ne'er-do-well, reprobate, scalawag, scallawag, rou_e, rake, Sadist, skeesicks, skeezix, limb, one who has sold himself to the devil, fallen angel, ame damnee, vaurien, mauvais sujet, loose fish, sad dog, rounder, lost sheep, black sheep, castaway, recreant, defaulter, prodigal, rough, rowdy, hooligan, tough, ugly customer, mean mother, ruffian, bully, meanie, Jonathan Wild, hangman, incendiary, arsonist, fire bug, thief, murderer, terrorist, culprit, delinquent, crook, hoodlum, hood, criminal, thug, malefactor, offender, perpetrator, perp, disorderly person, misdemeanant, outlaw, scofflaw, vandal, felon, (convicted criminal), criminal, convict, prisoner, inmate, jail bird, ticket of leave man, multiple offender, blackguard, polisson, loafer, sneak, rapscallion, rascallion, cullion, mean wretch, varlet, kern, ame-de-boue, drole, cur, dog, hound, whelp, mongrel, lown, loon, runnion, outcast, vagabond, rogue, ronian, scum of the earth, riffraff, Arcades ambo, Int, sirrah!, Acherontis pabulum, gibier de potence.