dishevelled

dishevelled
\ \ [15] Semantically, dishevelledwith untidy hair’ and unkemptwith uncombed hair’ are closely parallel formations. Dishevelled originated as an adaptation of deschevele, the past participle of Old French deschevelerdisarrange the hair’. This was a compound verb formed from the prefix dis- ‘apart’ and chevelhair’, a descendant of Latin capillushair’ (from which English got capillary [17]). In Middle English its meaning was extended to ‘without a head-dress’, and even to ‘undressed’, but its modern metaphorical application is the more general ‘untidy’. (The verb dishevel was a late 16th-century back-formation from dishevelled.)
\ \ Cf.CAPILLARY

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Dishevelled — specific domain Solution structure of the mouse Dvl 1 DEP domain based on the PDB 1fsh coordinates. Identifiers …   Wikipedia

  • dishevelled — (US disheveled) ► ADJECTIVE ▪ (of a person s hair, clothes, or appearance) untidy; disordered. DERIVATIVES dishevelment noun. ORIGIN originally in the sense «having the hair uncovered»: from Old French deschevele, from Latin capillus hair …   English terms dictionary

  • dishevelled — [15] Semantically, dishevelled ‘with untidy hair’ and unkempt ‘with uncombed hair’ are closely parallel formations. Dishevelled originated as an adaptation of deschevele, the past participle of Old French descheveler ‘disarrange the hair’. This… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • dishevelled — di|shev|elled BrE disheveled AmE [dıˈʃevəld] adj [Date: 1300 1400; : Old French; Origin: deschevelé, from chevel hair ] if someone s appearance or their clothes, hair etc is dishevelled, they look very untidy ▪ Pam arrived late, dishevelled and… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • dishevelled — [[t]dɪʃe̱v(ə)ld[/t]] ADJ GRADED If you describe someone s hair, clothes, or appearance as dishevelled, you mean that it is very untidy. She arrived flushed and dishevelled. Syn: unkempt (in AM, use disheveled) …   English dictionary

  • dishevelled — BrE, disheveled AmE adjective dishevelled clothes, hair etc are very untidy: Pam arrived late, dishevelled and out of breath …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • dishevelled — /dɪˈʃɛvəld / (say di shevuhld) adjective 1. hanging loosely or in disorder; unkempt: dishevelled hair. 2. untidy; disarranged: dishevelled appearance. Also, US, disheveled …  

  • dishevelled — disheveled di*shev eled, dishevelled di*shev elled, a. 1. Hanging in loose disorder; disarranged; in disarray; not made neat; used especially of hair or clothing; as, disheveled hair. [1913 Webster] 2. Having the hair in loose disorder. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Dishevelled — Dishevel Di*shev el (d[i^]*sh[e^]v l or [e^]l), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Disheveled}or {Dishevelled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Disheveling} or {Dishevelling}.] [OF. descheveler, F. d[ e]cheveler, LL. discapillare; dis + L. capillus the hair of the head. See… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • dishevelled — adj. Dishevelled/disheveled is used with these nouns: ↑appearance, ↑clothes, ↑hair …   Collocations dictionary

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