Rash

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Pronunciation: /ɹæʃ/

Definitions

1. A sudden outbreak of red spots or bumps on the skin, often causing itching or irritation
2. An unexpected eruption of red spots or bumps on the skin, which frequently results in irritation or discomfort
3. A rapid appearance of red, inflamed patches on the skin, typically associated with itching or an uncomfortable sensation

Etymology: The word "rash" has two unrelated histories that happen to meet in the same spelling. The adjective, meaning hasty or reckless, goes back to Old English "ræsċ", which was tied to ideas of quick movement, flickering and glittering. Its older roots reach back to a prehistoric verb meaning "to run" or "to roll", and it is cognate with words for "nimble" and "vigorous" in Dutch, German and the Scandinavian languages. Over time the sense shifted from quickness toward recklessness, so a rash person was originally one who moved fast, not one who acted without thought. The skin eruption is a separate noun. It probably comes from Old French "rasche", a word for a skin eruption or scabies, which in turn came from "racher", "to scrape". That verb descends from Vulgar Latin "*rāsicāre", based on Latin "rādō", "to scrape". So the medical sense is named for a scraped, irritated surface, and it is a doublet of "raze" and "rase", which also come from the same Latin verb.

Synonyms: hasty, reckless, impulsive

Antonyms: cautious, deliberate, thoughtful