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pellmell |
4 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Pall-mall \Pall`-mall"\, n. [OF. palemail It pallamagio palla a ball (of German origin, akin to E. ball) + magio hammer, fr L. malleus. See lst {Ball}, and {Mall} a beetle.] A game formerly common in England, in which a wooden ball was driven with a mallet through an elevated hoop or ring of iron. The name was also given to the mallet used to the place where the game was played, and to the street, in London, still called Pall Mall. [Written also {pail-mail} and {pell-mell}.] --Sir K. Digby Evelyn. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Pell-mell \Pell`-mell"\, n. See {Pall-mall}. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Pellmell \Pell`mell"\, adv [F. p[^e]le-m[^e]le, prob. fr pelle a shovel + m[^e]ler to mix, as when different kinds of grain are heaped up and mixed with a shovel. See {Pell} shovel, {Medley}.] In utter confusion; with confused violence. ``Men, horses, chariots, crowded pellmell.'' --Milton. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: pell-mell adj : with undue hurry and confusion; "a helter-skelter kind of existence with never a pause"; "a pell-mell dash for the train" [syn: {helter-skelter}] adv : in a wild or reckless manner; "dashing harum-scarum all over the place"; "running pell-mell up the stairs" [syn: {harum-scarum}]
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