retchless

English

Etymology

From Middle English recche (“care, heed”) +‎ -less. Compare English reckless.

Adjective

retchless (comparative more retchless, superlative most retchless)

1. (obsolete) careless; reckless
   • 1614, Ben Jonson, Bartholmew Fair:

     They are such retchless flies as you are, that blow cutpurses abroad in every corner; your foolish having of money makes 'em.

   • 1700, [John] Dryden, “Palamon and Arcite”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:

     Retchless of laws, affects to rule alone

   • 1848, John Bradford, Aubrey Townsend, The Writings of John Bradford, M.A., page 409:

     For if so be that God justly do thus give to Satan and his seed to vex and molest Christ and his penitent people, O what and how justly may he and will he give to Satan to entreat the retchless and impenitent sinners!

   • 1999, Frank Felsenstein, English Trader, Indian Maid, page 61:

     But this care and charity of Colonel Walrond's, lost him nothing in the conclusion; for he got such love of his servants; as they thought all too little they could do for him; and the love of the servants there, is of much concernment to the masters, not only in their diligent and painful labour, but in foreseeing and preventing mischiefs that often happen; by the carelessness and slothfulness of retchless servants; sometimes by laying fire so negligently, as whole lands of canes and houses too, are burnt down and consumed, to the utter ruin and undoing of their masters:

Related terms

• retch (verb)
• retchlessly
• retchlessness

References

• “retchless”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.