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Wednesday October 13, 1999

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disheveled \dih-SHEV-uhld\ , adjective;
also dishevelled:
In loose disorder; disarranged; unkempt; as, "disheveled hair."

His cheeks were perpetually rosy, and his thinning sandy brown hair was brushed straight back -- and disheveled just enough to suggest a man in a hurry.
-- Kai Bird, The Color of Truth

I was known for my disheveled attire, messy desk and erratic work habits.
-- Michael Isikoff, Uncovering Clinton

He was wearing a disheveled shirt buttoned up wrong and a belt outside the belt loops and even with the beanie on his head looked as always handsome.
-- Susan Minot, Evening

At one point she bends her body in an arc, lifts a hind leg, and scratches her shoulder, leaving a disheveled spot in her fur.
-- Richard Nelson, Heart and Blood

Disheveled is from Old French descheveler, "to disarrange the hair," from des-, "apart" (from Latin dis-) + chevel, "hair," from Latin capillus.

Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for disheveled

 

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