Sense file
How the sense moved
The archive follows the dated record first, then reads the social or rhetorical pressure that hardened, softened, narrowed, or reversed the word.
Older meaning
A highway robber, fugitive, vagabond, swindler, or mean villain.
Modern meaning
A mischievous but likable rogue.
Research lens
A hard moral judgment word softens into character-comedy without fully forgetting its older villainy.
Meaning trail
Older sense
robber or vagabond
The first word is socially and morally hard-edged.
Bridge
rascal or swindler
The crime edge loosens into general roguishness.
Now
mischievous lovable rogue
The modern tone often makes the rule-breaker charming.