Rascaldoms

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Characterized by the mischievous or naughty behavior typically associated with scamps or troublemakers; the condition or state of being involved in playful or pesky antics; a collective group or community of individuals known for their playful or troublesome nature
2. A state of playful mischief associated with scoundrels; an environment populated by those who engage in pranks or troublemaking; the collective mischief embraced by a group of unruly individuals
3. Describing the characteristic behaviors of playful troublemakers; a setting where mischievous antics are common among a group; the social phenomenon of embracing mischief as a shared trait

Etymology: "Rascaldoms" is the plural of "rascaldom," a noun that gathers a crowd of scoundrels into one collective term. The base word, "rascal," has an uncertain history: it came into English in the late Middle Ages, first meaning a person of low birth or a common crowd, and only later took on its sense of a dishonest or mischievous person. Tracing it back beyond that point is difficult, which is why its origins are usually described as obscure. The suffix "-dom," from Old English "-dōm," meant something like "state," "condition," or "realm," as in "kingdom" or "freedom." Attaching it to "rascal" yields "rascaldom," the condition or domain of rascals, and then, as a collective noun, the whole body of them. The plural form "rascaldoms" simply counts separate groups of such people.

Synonyms: rascality, mischief