Disheveled
/dɪˈʃɛv.əld/noun
Untidy or in a state of disorder, especially in appearance.
Did you know?Disheveled comes from an old French verb meaning “to uncover the head,” tied to medieval hair-covering customs, so the word’s messiness began as a very specific act of unbinding.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wel-
“to cover, wrap, hide”
Latin
Latin
velum
“a veil, covering, sail”
Old French
Old French
descheveler
“to let the hair hang loose; to disarrange the hair”
Middle English
English
discheveled
“with hair hanging unkempt; untidy in appearance”
Modern English
English
disheveled
“untidy; in disorder, especially in dress or appearance”