tidy

views updated

ti·dy / ˈtīdē/ • adj. (-di·er, -di·est) 1. arranged neatly and in order: his scrupulously tidy apartment | fig. the lives they lead don't fit into tidy patterns. ∎  (of a person) inclined to keep things or one's appearance neat and in order: she was a tidy little girl. ∎  not messy; neat and controlled: he wrote down her replies in a small, tidy hand.2. inf. (of an amount, esp. of money) considerable: the book will bring in a tidy sum.• n. (pl. -dies) 1. a receptacle for holding small objects or waste scraps: a desk tidy.2. another term for antimacassar.• v. (-dies, -died) [tr.] (often tidy someone/something up) bring order to; arrange neatly: I'd better try to tidy my desk up a bit| fig. the bill is intended to tidy up the law on this matter | [intr.] I'll just go and tidy up. DERIVATIVES: ti·di·ly / -dilē/ adv.ti·di·ness n.