Unlevelling

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Making a surface or structure uneven so that it no longer sits flat or true
2. Causing ground, floors or other flat things to become irregular and tilted rather than even
3. Disturbing the flatness of something so that its parts stand at different heights

Etymology: "Unlevelling" is the present participle of "unlevel", a verb formed in English by adding the prefix "un-" to "level". The prefix is the common English reversing element, so the verb means to undo the levelling of something, to make it no longer flat or even. "Level" itself comes from Old French "livel", a word for a tool or instrument used to establish horizontal ground, which is itself related to "lever" and the Latin "libella", a small balance or spirit level. The "un-" combination is a straightforward, transparent formation, so the word's meaning follows directly from its two parts.