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pell-mell

or pell·mell

[ pel-mel ]
/ ˈpɛlˈmɛl /
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See synonyms for pell-mell on Thesaurus.com
adverb
in disorderly, headlong haste; in a recklessly hurried manner.
in a confused or jumbled mass, crowd, manner, etc.: The crowd rushed pell-mell into the store when the doors opened.
adjective
indiscriminate; disorderly; helter-skelter: a pell-mell dash after someone.
overhasty or precipitate; rash: pell-mell spending.
noun
a confused or jumbled mass, crowd, etc.
disorderly, headlong haste.
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Origin of pell-mell

First recorded in 1570–80; from Middle French pelemele, Old French pesle mesle, rhyming compound based on mesler “to mix”; see meddle

Words nearby pell-mell

Pelletier, pelletize, pellicle, pellicle mirror, pellitory, pell-mell, pellucid, pellum, Pelly, Pelmanism, pelmeny
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to pell-mell

chaotic, confused, disarrayed, disorganized, haphazard, muddled, foolishly, full tilt, hastily, headlong, heedlessly, helter-skelter, impetuously, incontinently, indiscreetly, posthaste, rashly, recklessly, thoughtlessly, anarchy

How to use pell-mell in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pell-mell

pell-mell
/ (ˈpɛlˈmɛl) /
adverb
in a confused headlong rushthe hounds ran pell-mell into the yard
in a disorderly mannerthe things were piled pell-mell in the room
adjective
disordered; tumultuousa pell-mell rush for the exit
noun
disorder; confusion

Word Origin for pell-mell

C16: from Old French pesle-mesle, jingle based on mesler to meddle
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for pell-mell

pell-mell

In a confused, disorderly manner: “After the assembly, the students ran pell-mell from the auditorium.”

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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