rakehell

[ reyk-hel ]

noun
  1. a licentious or dissolute man; rake.

adjective
  1. Also rake·hell·y [reyk-hel-ee]. /ˈreɪkˌhɛl i/. dissolute; profligate.

Origin of rakehell

1
1540–50; alteration by folk etymology (see rake1, hell) of Middle English rakel (adj.) rash, rough, coarse, hasty (akin to rake4); compare Old Norse reikall wandering, unsettled

Words Nearby rakehell

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British Dictionary definitions for rakehell

rakehell

/ (ˈreɪkˌhɛl) archaic /


noun
  1. a dissolute man; rake

adjectiveAlso: rakehelly
  1. profligate; dissolute

Origin of rakehell

1
C16: from rake 1 + hell; but compare Middle English rakel rash

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