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disheveled - 6 dictionary results

di⋅shev⋅eled

  [di-shev-uhld]
Use disheveled in a Sentence
–adjective
1. hanging loosely or in disorder; unkempt: disheveled hair.
2. untidy; disarranged: a disheveled appearance.
Also, especially British, di⋅shev⋅elled.

Origin:
1375–1425; late ME discheveled < OF deschevele, ptp. of descheveler to dishevel the hair, equiv. to des- dis- 1 + -cheveler, deriv. of chevel a hair < L capillus

Synonyms:
2. rumpled, messy, slovenly, sloppy.

di⋅shev⋅el

  [di-shev-uhl]
–verb (used with object), -eled, -el⋅ing or (especially British) -elled, -el⋅ling.
1. to let down, as hair, or wear or let hang in loose disorder, as clothing.
2. to cause untidiness and disarray in: The wind disheveled the papers on the desk.
Origin:
1590–1600; back formation from disheveled

Related forms:
di⋅shev⋅el⋅ment, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To disheveled
di·shev·el   (dĭ-shěv'əl)   
tr.v.   di·shev·eled or di·shev·elled, di·shev·el·ing or di·shev·el·ling, di·shev·els
    1. To loosen and let fall (hair or clothing) in disarray.
    2. To disarrange the hair or clothing of.
  2. To throw into disorder.

[Back-formation from disheveled.]
di·shev'el·ment n.
di·shev·eled or di·shev·elled   (dĭ-shěv'əld)   
adj.  
  1. Being in loose disarray; unkempt, as hair or clothing.
  2. Marked by disorder; untidy: a disheveled pile of books on the library table.

[Middle English discheveled, from Old French deschevele, past participle of descheveler, to disarrange the hair : des-, apart; see dis- + chevel, hair (from Latin capillus).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Main Entry:  disheveled1
Part of Speech:  adj
Definition:  messed up or disarrayed, esp. the hair; untidy
Etymology:  Old French descheveler 'to disarrange the hair'
Usage:  also dishevelled
Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon
Copyright © 2003-2009 Dictionary.com, LLC
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Language Translation for : disheveled
Spanish: despeinado, desarreglado, desaliñado,
German: zerzaust,
Japanese: 乱れた
More Translations »

Disheveled

Di*shev"eled\, a. 1. Having in loose disorder; disarranged; as, disheveled hair.

2. Having the hair in loose disorder.

The dancing maidens are disheveled M[ae]nads. --J. A. Symonds.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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