pell-mell
or pell·mell
[ pel-mel ]
/ ˈpɛlˈmɛl /
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; confused: a pell-mell dash after someone.
overhasty or precipitate; rash: pell-mell spending.
noun
a confused or jumbled mass, crowd, etc.
disorderly, headlong haste.
QUIZZES
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Question 1 of 10
seclusion
Origin of pell-mell
1570–80; <Middle French pelemele,Old French pesle mesle, rhyming compound based on mesler to mix. See meddle
Words nearby pell-mell
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for pell-mell
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.