shaggy
Meaning
having long, thick, and untidy hair or fibers
rough and uneven in texture or appearance
Structure
Usage
the shaggy dog ran through the muddy field.
he wore an old coat with a shaggy lining.
the cliff face was covered in shaggy moss.
Etymology
the word 'shaggy' originates from the middle english term shagge, which referred to rough or coarse hair or wool. this middle english word is believed to be derived from an old english root, likely related to sceacga, meaning 'rough matted hair' or 'thatch'. the addition of the productive adjectival suffix '-y' creates the meaning "characterized by shag," evolving from a literal description of hairy, unkempt coats to also describe any surface with a long, rough, and disordered texture.
Analysis
shagg (from middle english shagge, meaning rough hair or wool, of old english origin) + y (english suffix forming adjectives meaning "characterized by" or "full of").