tousle

 
Pronunciation: /ˈtaʊz(ə)l/

verb

[with object] (usually as adjective tousled)
  • make (something, especially a person’s hair) untidy: Nathan’s tousled head appeared in the hatchway

Origin:

late Middle English (in the sense 'handle roughly or rudely'): frequentative of dialect touse 'handle roughly', of Germanic origin and related to German zausen. Compare with tussle