tidy

[tahy-dee] /ˈtaɪ di/
adjective, tidier, tidiest.
1.
neat, orderly, or trim, as in appearance or dress:
a tidy room; a tidy person.
2.
clearly organized and systematic:
a tidy mind; a tidy way of working.
3.
tolerably good; acceptable:
They worked out a tidy arrangement agreeable to all.
4.
fairly large; considerable:
a tidy sum.
verb (used with object), verb (used without object), tidied, tidying.
5.
to make tidy or neat (often followed by up).
noun, plural tidies.
6.
any of various articles for keeping things tidy, as a box having small drawers and compartments.
7.
an antimacassar.
Origin
1200-50; Middle English tidi, tidy seasonable, hence good; cognate with Dutch tijdig. See tide1, -y1
Related forms
tidily, adverb
tidiness, noun
Antonyms
1. messy, sloppy.
Examples from the web for tidy
  • It was a tidy plan for an orderly war, everything in its place.
  • If the bathroom is clean and tidy, it's worth a tip.
  • Laundry will wash and deliver linens and keep the linen room clean and tidy.
  • The mayor of the tidy nearby town brought out souvenir bottles of schnapps.
  • The essay is organized into several paragraphs, each of which begins with a tidy topic sentence.
  • And evenings, after nine pm, it is my pleasure to sweep and mop the floors and tidy the shelves.
  • Some references to unfamiliar figures and events benefit from the book's tidy footnotes.
  • tidy, well-regulated shops would line the streets, with trees and parks as green oases between them.
  • Built and rebuilt with foreign aid, it looks tidy enough.
  • Additionally, while the output is free, many companies are finding ways to make tidy sums from it.
British Dictionary definitions for tidy

tidy

/ˈtaɪdɪ/
adjective -dier, -diest
1.
characterized by or indicating neatness and order
2.
(informal) considerable: a tidy sum of money
verb -dies, -dying, -died
3.
when intr, usually foll by up. to put (things) in order; neaten
noun (pl) -dies
4.
  1. a small container in which odds and ends are kept
  2. sink tidy, a container with holes in the bottom, kept in the sink to retain rubbish that might clog the plug hole
5.
(mainly US & Canadian) an ornamental protective covering for the back or arms of a chair
Derived Forms
tidily, adverb
tidiness, noun
Word Origin
C13 (in the sense: timely, seasonable, excellent): from tide1 + -y1; related to Dutch tijdig timely
Word Origin and History for tidy
adj.

mid-13c., probably originally "in season, timely, opportune, excellent," from tide in the sense of "season, time" (see tide). Cf. Old High German zitig, German zeitig, Dutch tijdig, Danish tidig "timely." Meaning "neat and in order" first recorded 1706.

v.

"to make neat, set in order," 1821, from tidy (adj.). Related: Tidied; tidying.