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un·kempt

(ŭn-kĕmpt)

adj.

1. Not combed: unkempt hair.

2. Disorderly or untidy in appearance: an unkempt vagabond; an unkempt garden. See Synonyms at sloppy.

[Middle English unkemd : un-, not; see UN-¹ + kembed, past participle of kemben, to comb (from Old English cemban; see gembh- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots).]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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