late 15c. (Caxton), "destroy or derange the order of, throw into confusion," from dis- "not" (see dis-) + order (v.). Replaced earlier disordeine (mid-14c.), from Old French desordainer, from Medieval Latin disordinare "throw into disorder," from Latin dis- + ordinare "to order, regulate," from ordo (genitive ordinis) "row, rank, series, arrangement" (see order (n.)). Related: Disordered; disordering.
1520s, "lack of regular arrangement;" 1530s, "tumult, disturbance of the peace;" from disorder (v.). Meaning "an ailment, a disturbance of the body or mind" is by 1704.
1680s, "of or pertaining to the mind as a subject of study;" see psychology + -ical. In early 20c. the sense gradually shifted toward "affecting or pertaining to a person's mental or emotional state." Related: Psychologically. Psychological warfare "use of propaganda, etc., to undermine an enemy's morale or resolve" is recorded from 1940. Psychological moment was in vogue from 1871, from French moment psychologique "moment of immediate expectation of something about to happen."
The original German phrase, misinterpreted by the French & imported together with its false sense into English, meant the psychic factor, the mental effect, the influence exerted by a state of mind, & not a point of time at all, das Moment in German corresponding to our momentum, not our moment. [Fowler]
As a psychological disorder, technically bulemia nervosa. Englished form boulimy, bulimy was used from late 14c. in a medical sense of "morbidly ravishing hunger, disease causing the patient to have an insatiable hunger for food."
"to make untidy, put in a state of disorder," 1837, American English, probably a variant of mess in its sense of "to disorder." It was attested earlier (1830) as a noun meaning "disturbance, state of confusion." Related: Mussed; mussing.
