WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : Ras"cal
Part of Speech : n.
Etymology : [OE. rascaille rabble, probably from an OF. racaille, F. racaille the rabble, rubbish, probably akin to F. racler to scrape, (assumed) LL. rasiculare, rasicare, fr. L. radere, rasum. See Rase, v.]
Definition : 1. One of the rabble; a low, common sort of person or creature; collectively, the rabble; the common herd; also, a lean, ill- conditioned beast, esp. a deer. [Obs.] He smote of the people seventy men, and fifty thousand of the rascal. Wyclif (1 Kings [1 Samuel] vi. 19). Poor men alone No, no; the noblest deer hath them [horns] as huge as the rascal. Shak.

2. A mean, trickish fellow; a base, dishonest person; a rogue; a scoundrel; a trickster. For I have sense to serve my turn in store, And he's a rascal who pretends to more. Dryden.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913

Pronunciation : Ras`cal
Part of Speech : a.
Definition : Defn: Of or pertaining to the common herd or common people; low; mean; base. "The rascal many." Spencer. "The rascal people." Shak. While she called me rascal fiddler. Shak.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913