From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Rascal \Ras"cal\, a.
Of or pertaining to the common herd or common people; low;
mean; base. "The rascal many." --Spencer. "The rascal
people." --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
While she called me rascal fiddler. --Shak.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Rascal \Ras"cal\ (r[a^]s"kal), n. [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.]
[1913 Webster]
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.]
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He smote of the people seventy men, and fifty
thousand of the rascal. --Wyclif (1
Kings [1
Samuel] vi.
19).
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Poor men alone? No, no; the noblest deer hath them
[horns] as huge as the rascal. --Shak.
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2. A mean, trickish fellow; a base, dishonest person; a
rogue; a scoundrel; a trickster.
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For I have sense to serve my turn in store,
And he's a rascal who pretends to more. --Dryden.
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