Kempt
/kɛmpt/noun
Neat, tidy, and well-groomed.
Did you know?Kempt is one of those words that survived while its obvious partner, *unkempt*, became far more common; both descend from an old past participle of *comb*, a word tied to grooming, order, and social appearance.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
cemban
“to comb, curry, or groom”
Old English
OE
cembt
“combed, groomed, arranged”
Middle English
ME
kempt
“combed; neat; tidy”
Early Modern English
English
unkempt
“not combed; untidy; disheveled”
Modern English
English
kempt
“neat, tidy, and well-groomed”