RASCAL, n. A fool considered under another aspect.

Source: THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993)
 

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.]

[1913 Webster]

He smote of the people seventy men, and fifty thousand of the rascal. --Wyclif (1 Kings [1 Samuel] vi. 19). [1913 Webster]

Poor men alone? No, no; the noblest deer hath them [horns] as huge as the rascal. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

2. A mean, trickish fellow; a base, dishonest person; a rogue; a scoundrel; a trickster. [1913 Webster]

For I have sense to serve my turn in store, And he's a rascal who pretends to more. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

Source: 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. [1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

53 Moby Thesaurus words for "rascal": bad boy, bastard, blackguard, blighter, booger, bounder, buffoon, bugger, cad, cutup, dastard, devil, elf, enfant terrible, funmaker, good-for-nothing, heel, hood, hoodlum, hooligan, imp, joker, jokester, knave, little devil, little monkey, little rascal, lowlife, minx, mischief, mischief-maker, miscreant, pixie, practical joker, prankster, precious rascal, puck, rapscallion, rogue, rotter, rowdy, ruffian, scalawag, scamp, scapegrace, scoundrel, shyster, sneak, spalpeen, villain, wag, wastrel, wretch

Source: Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
 

rascal

Source: WordNet (r) 2.0
 

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.

While she called me rascal fiddler. --Shak.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Rascal \Ras"cal\, 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.]

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 Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)