PELL-MELL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does pell-mell mean? 

• PELL-MELL (adjective)
  The adjective PELL-MELL has 1 sense:

1. with undue hurry and confusion

  Familiarity information: PELL-MELL used as an adjective is very rare.

• PELL-MELL (adverb)
  The adverb PELL-MELL has 1 sense:

1. in a wild or reckless manner

  Familiarity information: PELL-MELL used as an adverb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PELL-MELL (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

With undue hurry and confusion

Synonyms:

helter-skelter; pell-mell

Context example:

a pell-mell dash for the train

Similar:

hurried (moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste)

• PELL-MELL (adverb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

In a wild or reckless manner

Synonyms:

harum-scarum; pell-mell

Context example:

running pell-mell up the stairs

 Context examples 

But I pray God that we may meet this new fleet of theirs and settle the matter by a pell-mell battle.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The hunters piled pell-mell out of the steerage, but as Leach’s tirade continued I saw that there was no levity in their faces.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

This was sufficient to fling the whole pack forward, pell-mell, crowded together, blocked and confused by its eagerness to pull down the prey.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

"Oh, certainly, if they are in your way," and sweeping her contributions into her apron, pell-mell, she walked off, feeling that herself and her works of art had been insulted past forgiveness.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

One lesson, too, we have learned, if it be allowable to argue a particulari: that the brute beasts which are to the Count's command are yet themselves not amenable to his spiritual power; for look, these rats that would come to his call, just as from his castle top he summon the wolves to your going and to that poor mother's cry, though they come to him, they run pell-mell from the so little dogs of my friend Arthur.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

At this signal, the little elephant, with a dexterity that was next to marvellous in so small an animal, whisked the chair round with Mr. Omer in it, and rattled it off, pell-mell, into the parlour, without touching the door-post: Mr. Omer indescribably enjoying the performance, and looking back at me on the road as if it were the triumphant issue of his life's exertions.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

"Oh, gracious! What shall I say?" cried Sallie, as Fred ended his rigmarole, in which he had jumbled together pell-mell nautical phrases and facts out of one of his favorite books.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

As fast as the prisoners came over the rail they were marshalled forward to the forecastle by our hunters, while our sailors hoisted in the boats, pell-mell, dropping them anywhere upon the deck and not stopping to lash them.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

To be sure, the hall was so narrow it was fortunate that they had no piano, for one never could have been got in whole, the dining room was so small that six people were a tight fit, and the kitchen stairs seemed built for the express purpose of precipitating both servants and china pell-mell into the coalbin.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)