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
3.
indiscriminate; disorderly; confused: a pell-mell dash after someone.
4.
overhasty or precipitate; rash: pell-mell spending.
noun
5.
a confused or jumbled mass, crowd, etc.
6.
disorderly, headlong haste.
Also, pell·mell.
Origin:
1570–80; < Middle French pelemele, Old French pesle mesle, rhyming compound based on mesler to mix. See meddle
1570–80; < Middle French pelemele, Old French pesle mesle, rhyming compound based on mesler to mix. See meddle
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To pell-mell
00:10
Pell-mell
is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
pell-mell (ˈpɛlˈmɛl) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adv | |
| 1. | in a confused headlong rush: the hounds ran pell-mell into the yard |
| 2. | in a disorderly manner: the things were piled pell-mell in the room |
| —adj | |
| 3. | disordered; tumultuous: a pell-mell rush for the exit |
| —n | |
| 4. | disorder; confusion |
| [C16: from Old French pesle-mesle, jingle based on mesler to | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
pell-mell
"confusedly," 1579, from M.Fr. pêle-mêle, from O.Fr. pesle mesle (12c.), apparently a jingling rhyme on the second element, which is from the stem of the verb mesler "to mix, mingle."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
pell-mell definition
In a confused, disorderly manner: “After the assembly, the students ran pell-mell from the auditorium.”
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
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