[ 'tɪtɪveɪt ]
■ verb informal make minor enhancements to.
↘( ~ oneself ) make oneself look smart.
Derivatives
titivation noun
Origin
C19 (in early use, also as tidivate ): perh. from tidy , on the pattern of cultivate .
Usage
The verbs ~ and titillate sound alike but do not have the same meaning. Titivate means ‘make minor enhancements to’, as in she ~d her hair , while titillate means ‘excite or interest’ ( the press are paid to titillate the public ).