rash
UK[ræʃ]US[ræʃ]
adj
acting or done without careful consideration of the possible consequences; impetuous
n
an area of red spots on a person's skin, appearing as a result of illness or a reaction to something
Etymology
The modern English adjective 'rash', meaning hasty or impetuous, originates from the late Middle English word of the same spelling. This term is likely related to Old Norse 'röskr', meaning brave or vigorous, and Middle Low German 'rasch', meaning quick or swift. The semantic journey connects the ancient sense of quick, vigorous movement to the modern abstract concept of acting with excessive speed and insufficient forethought. The noun 'rash', referring to a skin eruption, entered English in the early 18th century from the obsolete French 'rache', itself derived from Latin 'rasus', the past participle of 'radere' meaning 'to scrape', likely alluding to the skin's raw, scraped appearance.
Analysis
The word 'rash' is a simplex word of Germanic origin. It is not productively formed from smaller, independent morphemes in modern English.
Examples
It would be rash to make such an important decision without consulting the team.
The child developed a red, itchy rash after touching the poison ivy.
He later regretted his rash promise, realizing he couldn't possibly fulfill it.