Messed

/ˈmɛst/ verb

Definition

Made something untidy, disordered, or ruined; often used with 'up' to mean made worse.

Etymology

From Old French 'mes' meaning 'portion of food' or 'dish,' which came to mean a group eating together, then a confused or disordered state. The verb meaning 'to make messy' developed from these senses.

Kelly Says

The word 'mess' originally meant a dish of food shared among people, and it evolved to mean disorder because communal meals often got chaotic—language literally preserved a memory of messy ancient dining!

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