Word of the Day: DISHEVELED
Disarranged or disordered
disheveled (adj) - messy, sloppy, or unkempt (also dishevelled) [dih-shev-uhld]
dishevel means to make untidy, messy, or disordered
dishevelment is a state of disarray or untidy appearance
dishabille means to be dressed in a careless or disorderly style
BREAKDOWN: Dishevelled–a neat word to use when you want to call someone sloppy or messy–comes from the Middle English dischevele meaning bareheaded or with disordered hair. Dishevel can be traced back further to deschevelé, a combination of the French roots DES- (bad) and chevoil (hair). The word dishabille has a similar derivation but based on roots for dress rather than hair.
“Most people show up for work being physically accoutered but mentally disheveled.” —Eric Butterworth.
[Our Wednesday Wildcards are fascinating and important words that are not necessarily derived from classic roots.]