English

Noun

rantipole ‎(plural rantipoles)

1. An unruly, rude young person.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Marryat to this entry?)

2. A rakish person.
   • 1757, by a Lady, A Letter to the Natural Historians, containing some Account of the Rantipole, etc., The London Chronicle, number 11, Jan 22–25:

     Your modern Rantipole, then, is of high Birth, or considerable Fortune, or great Beauty, either of which may entitle her to do that which others are ashamed of, who have not those superb Qualifications, and enable her to reverse the true Estimation of Things, and value herself upon being good for nothing.
     A young Rantipole, as soon as let out of the Cage, most commonly enters the Order, and opens her first Scene of Life with the Choice of a Gallant, whom she reizes egregiously for a Number of Years, and then marries and torments him without Mercy.

   • 1798, Thomas Holcroft, He's Much To Blame, Act II, Scene I:

     For example: that my wife, Lady Vibrate, is an extravagant rackety rantipole woman of fashion, can I doubt that? No. That she squanders my money, disturbs my peace, and contradicts for contradiction's sake, can I doubt that? No.

Verb

rantipole ‎(third-person singular simple present rantipoles, present participle rantipoling, simple past and past participle rantipoled)

1. To act like a rantipole.
   • 1712, Dr. John Arbuthnot, Law is a Bottomless Pit, or The History of John Bull, Chapter 16:

     The eldest was a termagant, imperious, prodigal, lewd, profligate wench, as ever breath'd; she used to rantipole about the house, pinch the children, kick the servants, and torture the cats and dogs; …

Anagrams

• prolinate