adjective
(of a person’s hair, clothes, or appearance) untidy; disordered : a man with long, disheveled hair. DERIVATIVES dishevel |-? sh ev?l| verb dishevelment noun
ORIGIN late Middle English : from obsolete dishevely, from Old French deschevele, past participle of descheveler (based on chevel hair, from Latin capillus). The original sense was [having the hair uncovered] ; later, referring to the hair itself, [hanging loose,] hence [disordered, untidy.] Compare with unkempt .