Rampagings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A series of violent and uncontrolled acts, often resulting in damage and chaos
2. Engaging in destructive behaviors marked by a frenzied and aggressive attitude
3. A succession of tumultuous events characterized by disorder and fierce disruption

Etymology: "Rampagings" is the plural of the noun "rampaging," the gerund of the verb "rampage." The verb is a 19th-century formation, first recorded in American English around 1820 to 1830, and it is generally considered a back-formation from "rampage" (the noun, which was earlier). Whether the verb came first or the noun did is not fully settled, so the safest account is that the two words appeared in close succession. The noun "rampage" itself is the more interesting part. It is usually linked to the Scottish and northern English dialect verb "ramp," meaning to rear up or act wildly, which descends from Old French "ramper," to crawl or climb, the same root behind "rampant" and "ramp" in the sense of a sloping walkway. The idea of a creature rearing up on its hind legs, and then rushing about out of control, seems to underlie the sense of furious, destructive movement. The plural form is rare, since "rampaging" usually works as an adjective or uncountable activity noun. The plural appears only when someone refers to several distinct bouts of such behavior.

Synonyms: raids, attacks