'disfigure' originates from Old French, specifically the word 'desfigurer,' where 'des-' meant 'away' and 'figurer' meant 'to form or shape.'

'desfigurer' transformed into the Middle English word 'disfiguren,' and eventually became the modern English word 'disfigure.'

Initially, it meant 'to spoil the appearance of something,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.