tidy
adjectiveverbnouninterjectioncommon in dialogue
- //ˈtaɪ.di//
Arranged neatly and in order.
adjective
- 1
Arranged neatly and in order.
She always kept her desk immaculately tidy; nothing was ever out of place.
- 2
Not messy; neat and controlled.
Keep Britain tidy by picking up litter.
- 3
Satisfactory; comfortable.
- 4
Generous, considerable.
The scheme made a tidy profit.
Two hundred thousand people! Miss Glory, that's a tidy lot. Not bad.
- 5
obsoleteIn good time; at the right time; timely; seasonable; opportune; favourable; fit; suitable.
if weather be fair and tidy
- 6
obsoleteBrave; smart; skillful; fine; good.
- 7
Appropriate or suitable as regards occasion, circumstances, arrangement, or order.
- 8
Normalized in a certain way that optimizes for data analysis.
Etymology
From Middle English tidy, tydy, tidi (“timely, seasonal, opportune”), from tide (“time”) + -y. Cognate with Saterland Frisian tiedig (“timely, early”), Dutch tijdig (“timely”), German Low German tiedig (“timely”), German zeitig (“seasonal, timely”), Danish tidig (“timely”), Swedish tidig (“timely”).
verb
- 1
To make tidy; to neaten.
noun
- 1
A container or other device for storing or organizing loose items in a tidy fashion.
desk tidy; sink tidy; cable tidy
It was in the days when[…]every scrap of cotton or linen found its way into the ‘tidy’.
NORRIS'S SINK TIDY. J NORRIS AND SONS, Sunningdale, near Ascot, the inventors of the "Little Friend" soap-tray, have extended the usefulness of this utensil by designing a sink-tidy for carrying three of the trays in the manner shown in the engraving. The tidy is formed by a strip of light wood[…]The price at which the tidy is offered virtually places it within the reach of everyone.
Inside there it was, the 1337 Revolving Desk Tidy.[…]The round "tidy" was divided into six segments "for all types of small sundries," and looked a bit like a grapefruit cut across the middle.
- 2
A cover, often of tatting, drawn work, or other ornamental work, for the back of a chair, the arms of a sofa, etc.
- 3
datedA child's pinafore.
A much coarser cotton, according to the fancy of the worker, may be used for the trimmings of night dresses, petticoats, D'Oyleys, tidies, etc.
- 4
The wren.
The Tydie for her notes as delicate as they
interjection
- 1
Expression of agreement or positive acknowledgement, usually in reply to a question; great, fine.
Forms
- plural
- tidies
- comparative
- tidier
- superlative
- tidiest
- past tense
- tidied
- past participle
- tidied
- present participle
- tidying
- third person singular
- tidies