pell-mell









pell-mell


adverb

  1. in disorderly, headlong haste; in a recklessly hurried manner.
  2. in a confused or jumbled mass, crowd, manner, etc.: The crowd rushed pell-mell into the store when the doors opened.

adjective

  1. indiscriminate; disorderly; confused: a pell-mell dash after someone.
  2. overhasty or precipitate; rash: pell-mell spending.

noun

  1. a confused or jumbled mass, crowd, etc.
  2. disorderly, headlong haste.

adverb

  1. in a confused headlong rushthe hounds ran pell-mell into the yard
  2. in a disorderly mannerthe things were piled pell-mell in the room

adjective

  1. disordered; tumultuousa pell-mell rush for the exit

noun

  1. disorder; confusion

adv.“confusedly,” 1570s, from Middle French pêle-mêle, from Old French pesle mesle (12c.), apparently a jingling rhyme on the second element, which is from the stem of the verb mesler “to mix, mingle” (see meddle). Phonetic French form pelly melly is attested in English from mid-15c. In a confused, disorderly manner: “After the assembly, the students ran pell-mell from the auditorium.”

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