Dictionary

dishevel en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /dɪ(s)ˈʃɛvl̩/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Old French descheveler (modern French écheveler, ultimately from Old French chevel).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To throw into disorder; upheave.
   • The wind disheveled the papers on the desk.
2. (transitive) To disarrange or loosen (hair, clothing, etc.).
   • Like the fair flower dishevell'd in the wind. 1785, William Cowper, The Garden:
   • [...] the natural finish seems much less likely to show up the stains of travel which might soon dishevel the golden ochre or dark blue—especially the latter—[...]. 1964 April, G. Freeman Allen, “The BRB shows traders the Liner train prototypes”, in Modern Railways, page 262:
   • With garments rent, and haire discheueled, / Wringing her hands, and making piteous mone; 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 12:
3. (intransitive) To spread out in disorder.

Forms

Deriveds

dishevelment

Synonyms

muss · rumple

Translations (16)

de verwirren (throw into disorder) · es desordenar (throw into disorder) · cs rozházet (throw into disorder) · de zerstrubbeln (disarrange or loosen) · de in Unordnung bringen (throw into disorder) · de zerzausen (disarrange or loosen) · de herumschmeißen (throw into disorder) · de zerwühlen (disarrange or loosen) · bg разхвърлям (throw into disorder) · fi pörröttää (disarrange or loosen) · io desordinar (throw into disorder) · kk бобырау (throw into disorder) · nl het laten hangen (throw into disorder) · ca despentinar (throw into disorder) · ru растрепать (disarrange or loosen) · de verlottern (disarrange or loosen)