rakehell

[ reyk-hel ]

/ ˈreɪkˌhɛl /

noun

a licentious or dissolute man; rake.

adjective

Also rake·hell·y

[reyk-hel-ee] /ˈreɪkˌhɛl i/. dissolute; profligate.

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transliterate

to remove or destroy all traces of.

to change (letters, words, etc.), into corresponding characters of another alphabet or language.

to explain in terms that can be more easily understood.

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Origin of rakehell

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

rake over the coals, rake up, rake's progress, the, rake-off, raked, rakehell, raker, raker tooth, raki, raking, raking bond

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for rakehell

rakehell

/ (ˈreɪkˌhɛl) archaic /

noun

a dissolute man; rake

adjective Also: rakehelly

profligate; dissolute

Word Origin for rakehell

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