Rantipole

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A wild, uncontrollable, or reckless person, especially one who behaves in a boisterous and disorderly manner
2. A person who behaves recklessly and violently, causing trouble and disturbance through aggressive or disruptive actions
3. A person of unruly temperament given to wild escapades and disorderly conduct that disrupts peaceable society

Etymology: "Rantipole" joins two English elements: "ranty," a dialect or informal adjective connected with wild, boisterous behaviour, and "pole," an old form of "poll," meaning "head." The combination is the kind of blunt, headstrong image that English slang has long favoured, a person whose head leads them into trouble. The result was a noun for a wild, noisy person, someone who behaves rowdily and heedlessly. The word is a playful construction rather than a formal term, which explains why its parts remain easy to read.