pellicle, n. skin, membrane, integument, cuticle, caul, Biol, epithelium, peel, Bot. epidermis; film, scum, foam, froth; slick, oil slick, spill; thin coating or coat, crust, covering, cover, layer, blanket, dusting; sheet, foil, lamina, thin plate, flake, scale; veneer, facing, finish, varnish, enamel. pell-mell, adv. 1. hurry-scurry, abruptly, precipitately, slapdash, slapbang; recklessly, impetuously, rashly; carelessly, summarily, without due reflection, on the spur of the moment, spontaneously, impulsively, at short notice, extemporaneously; prematurely, too soon, out of the blue, without proper preparation, Inf. at half cock; heedlessly, without due caution, thoughtlessly, cursorily; feverishly, foolishly, imprudently, incautiously, unadvisedly.
2. hastily, in great haste; helter-skelter, speedily, hurriedly, breathlessly, double-quick, too quickly; in a wink, Inf. like greased lightning, like one possessed; like a shot, like mad, Inf like a bat out of hell, full tilt, in high gear.
-adj. 3. indiscriminate, haphazard, random; casual, hit-or-miss, unmethodical, methodless, unsystematic, systemless; unordered, orderless, disordered, disorderly, disorganized, unorganized, unarranged, irregular; scrambled, tangled, disarranged, in disarray; confused, chaotic, all mixed-up, upside down, Inf. topsy-turvy, at sixes and sevens, muddled, jumbled, hugger-mugger.
-n. 4. mob, unruly group, rabble, horde; rout, surge, Inf. mob scene, brawlers, rioters.
5. confusion, disorder, upheaval, turmoil, tumult; agitation, stir, ferment, bustle, hurry-scurry, hubbub; commotion, turbulence, brouhaha; uproar, pother, disturbance; trouble, to-do, row, melee, fracas, rumpus, brawl, riot; anarchy, chaos, pandemonium, bedlam, babel, three-ring circus. pellucid, adj. 1. translucent, glassy, crystalline, vitreous, vitric, vitriform, hyaline; clear, transparent, transpicuous, crystal, crystal clear, diaphanous, see-through, limpid.
2. understandable, comprehensible, apprehensible; intelligible, coherent, articulate, cogent, lucid; rational, simple, plainly-worded, exoteric, unhidden, undisguised; straightforward, written for the layman, popular, Inf. in words of one syllable; unambiguous, perspicuous, unconfusing, with no room for confusion, clear, clear-cut, graphic, vivid, explicit, express, salient, downright, to the point, direct, not mincing words; apparent, revealed, disclosed, unconcealed; prominent, plain, pronounced, palpable, visible; unquestionable, unmistakable, unequivocal; obvious, overt, bare, naked, bald, blunt. pelt¹, v. 1. attack, assail, stone, lapidate; riddle, shower, bombard, pepper, Brit. SI. prang; strafe, shell, torpedo, cannonade, Mil. barrage, fusillade, blitz; batter, beat, beat up, Archaic, belabor; pound, Inf wallop, lay on, pommel, pummel, thrash, trounce, SI. paste, SI. clobber; maul, manhandle, rough up, SI. knock around or about; SI. work over, SI. give one the works; smite, hit, strike, slap, smack, cuff, buffer; punch, Inf. slug, whack, SI. belt.
2. throw, heave, fling, cast, throw, propel; toss, hurl, sling, catapult, launch; dart, Brit. SI. bung, fire, shoot, let sail or fly; dash, chuck, peg, send, pitch, put, lance, bowl.
3. revile, vituperate, abuse, lash, lash out at, rail against, inveigh against; light into, Inf. sail into, Inf. tear into, Inf. rip into, Inf. lace into, Inf. jump down [s.o.'s] throat, Archaic, clapperclaw; scold, tongue-lash, rate, harangue, rant; curse, execrate, imprecate, anathematize; upbraid, objurgate, excoriate, lambaste, flay, fulminate against; castigate, chastise, berate, censure, criticize, reproach, rebuke, reprove, Inf. jump on, Inf. dress down, Inf. slam, SI. jump all