pell-mell

pell-mell
/pel"mel"/, adv.
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.
adj.
3. indiscriminate; disorderly; confused: a pell-mell dash after someone.
4. overhasty or precipitate; rash: pell-mell spending.
n.
5. a confused or jumbled mass, crowd, etc.
6. disorderly, headlong haste.
Also, pellmell.
[1570-80; < MF pelemele, OF pesle mesle, rhyming compound based on mesler to mix. See MEDDLE]

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Pell Mell — was an instrumental rock combo formed in 1980 in Portland, Oregon. The original members were Arni May, guitar, and Jon Lars Sorenson, bass, from the Portland avant garde group UHF, and from local Reed College Bill Owen on guitar, and Bob Beerman… …   Wikipedia

  • pell|mell — pell mell or pell|mell «PEHL MEHL», adverb, adjective, noun. –adv. 1. in a rushing, tumbling mass or crowd: »The children dashed pell mell down to the beach and into the waves. 2. in headlong haste: »She had made her escape that way, and down… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Pell Mell — Allgemeine Informationen Genre(s) Klassik Rock Gründung 1971 Auflösung 1979 Neugründung 1980 1981 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • pell-mell — [adj] disordered chaotic, confused, disarrayed, disorganized, haphazard, muddled, tumultous/tumultuous; concepts 562,585 Ant. ordered, organized pell mell [adv] hurriedly and carelessly foolishly, full tilt*, hastily, headlong, heedlessly, helter …   New thesaurus

  • Pell-mell — n. See {Pall mall}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pell-mell — [ˌpel ˈmel] adv old fashioned [Date: 1500 1600; : Old French; Origin: pesle mesle, from mesler to mix ] quickly and in an uncontrolled way ▪ The children ran pell mell out of school …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • pell-mell — [ ,pel, el ] adverb in a quick and uncontrolled way: We dropped everything and ran pell mell into the street …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • pell-mell — (adv.) confusedly, 1570s, 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 (see MEDDLE (Cf. meddle)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • pell-mell — ► ADJECTIVE & ADVERB ▪ in a confused, rushed, or disorderly way. ORIGIN French pêle mêle, from mesler to mix …   English terms dictionary

  • pell-mell — [pel′mel′] adv., adj. [Fr pêle mêle < OFr pesle mesle, redupl. < mesler, to mix] 1. in a jumbled, confused mass or manner; without order or method 2. in wild, disorderly haste; headlong n. a jumble; confusion; disorder: Also pellmell …   English World dictionary

  • pell mell — obs. form of pall mall …   Useful english dictionary

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