Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
- n. Behavior or character typical of a rascal.
- n. A base or mischievous act.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
- n. Rascals collectively; the rabble, the masses.
- n. The behavior of a rascal.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
- n. The quality or state of being rascally, or a rascal; mean trickishness or dishonesty; base fraud.
- n. The poorer and lower classes of people.
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. Low or mean people collectively; rascals in general; rascaldom: now used chiefly in the moral sense. See rascal, a., 2.
- n. The character or an action of a rascal; the quality of being a rascal; low or mean trickery; base or dishonest procedure; villainy; fraud.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- n. the quality of being a slippery rascal
- n. reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others
- n. the trait of indulging in disreputable pranks
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Examples
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_Educated rascality is infinitely more of a menace to society than ignorant rascality_.
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Not exactly, dear! "replied her grandfather; –" but such little-minded rascality is not just the vice one would expect to find in a gallant soldier. "
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There was no remedy for what was called by Lord Lovat's friends, the "rascality" of the judges: -- and again this unworthy Highlander was driven from his own country to seek safety in the land wherein his offences had received their pardon.
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I hope the Committee will not act so unjustly as to turn their backs on all cases because there is 'rascality' in some; because there is rascality in some cases, why should a just cause suffer?
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He shall learn that this kind of rascality is not permitted by the nobles of France.
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Being suspected of "rascality" in this direction, he was arrested and put in jail, but as no evidence could be found against him he was soon released.
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The way he did it brought him under the just accusation of being guilty of every kind of rascality known to politics.
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The courts rapidly lost their power, and the worst people, both Americans and Creoles, practised every kind of rascality with impunity.
The Winning of the West, Volume 2 From the Alleghanies to the Mississippi, 1777-1783
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The probability is, that this single experience educated him so far that his next employer would have no occasion to complain of his "rascality;" and I very much doubt if any amount of
A Journey in the Seaboard Slave States; With Remarks on Their Economy
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In fact, it is looked upon in this region as a proscriptive right of the negroes to have this incitement to diligence offered them; and the man who denied it, or who attempted to lessen it, would, it is said, suffer in his reputation, as well as experience much annoyance from the obstinate "rascality" of his negroes.
A Journey in the Seaboard Slave States; With Remarks on Their Economy
yarb commented on the word rascality
...you have made away with a candlestick, a necklace, and a pair of drop ear-rings: and what is worse, you have committed your rascalities in the livery of the law.
- Lesage, The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, tr. Smollett, bk 2 ch. 5
September 13, 2008