late Middle English (originally as a verb in the senses 'dilute' and 'steep'): from Old French destremper or late Latin distemperare 'soak'mid 16th cent. (originally in the sense 'bad temper', later 'illness'): from Middle English distemper 'upset, derange', from late Latin distemperare 'soak, mix in the wrong proportions', from dis- 'thoroughly' + temperare 'mingle'. Compare with temper. Sense 1 dates from the mid 18th cent
