I. ˈtīdē, -di adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: Middle English, from tyde, tide time + -y — more at tide
1. : properly filled out : plump , comely , healthy
a sleek, tidy beauty — Current Biography
2.
a. obsolete : diligent , upright , worthy , skillful
b. : adequately satisfactory : sufficiently good or pleasing to be acceptable : decent , fair
a convenient and sufficiently tidy arrangement — Times Literary Supplement
got a tidy price for the property
c. : clever usually to the point of being somewhat crafty : shrewd
hoped to play him some tidy little tricks — F.M.Ford
3. obsolete : occurring at a suitable time : timely , seasonable
4.
a. : neat and orderly in appearance or habits : kept in good trim : well ordered and cared for
a tidy person
tidy white houses
b. : maintaining neatness and order in things under one's charge
a tidy housekeeper
c. : characterized by inherent neatness and order (as in formulation or function) : free from irregularity or slovenliness and often from any marked individuality : precise
a tidy handwriting
tidy thinking
a tidy mind
5. : not small in worth : comfortably large or valuable
came into a tidy estate
must have paid a tidy sum
Synonyms: see neat
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
transitive verb
: to put in proper order : make neat or tidy — often used with up
tidy up a room
intransitive verb
: to make things tidy — usually used with up
tidying up after supper
III. noun
( -es )
: any of various articles or devices intended to promote neatness or order: as
a. : a piece of fancywork used to protect the back, arms, or headrest of a chair or sofa from wear or soil
b. : a receptacle with pockets or compartments in which sewing materials, toilet articles, or odds and ends can be kept in order
c. : a perforated receptacle for draining small garbage at a sink
IV. adverb
chiefly dialect : tidily