/hel"teuhr skel"teuhr/ , adv.
1. in headlong and disorderly haste: The children ran helter-skelter all over the house.
2. in a haphazard manner; without regard for order: Clothes were scattered helter-skelter about the room.
adj.
3. carelessly hurried; confused: They ran in a mad, helter-skelter fashion for the exits.
4. disorderly; haphazard: Books and papers were scattered on the desk in a helter-skelter manner.
n.
5. tumultuous disorder; confusion.
[ 1585-95; rhyming compound, perh. based on * skelt, ME skelten to hasten ( h parallel to HUBBLE-BUBBLE, HIGGLEDY-PIGGLEDY, etc. ]