neat
1[ neet ]
/ nit /
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adjective, neat·er, neat·est.
adverb
Informal. neatly.
SYNONYMS FOR neat
QUIZZES
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Set some time apart to test your bracket symbol knowledge, and see if you can keep your parentheses, squares, curlies, and angles all straight!
Question 1 of 7
Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?
First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.
First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.
First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT Origin of neat
1First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English net “spruce, trim, clean,” from Middle French, from Latin nitidus “shining, polished, handsome, spruce,” equivalent to nit(ēre) “to shine” + -idus adjective suffix; see -id4
OTHER WORDS FROM neat
neatly, adverbneatness, nounWords nearby neat
Definition for neat (2 of 2)
neat2
[ neet ]
/ nit /
noun, plural neat.
an animal of the genus Bos; a bovine, as a cow or ox.
Origin of neat
2before 900; Middle English neet,Old English nēat, cognate with Old Norse naut,Middle Dutch noot; akin to Old English nēotan to use, possess
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
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British Dictionary definitions for neat (1 of 2)
neat1
/ (niːt) /
adjective
Derived forms of neat
neatly, adverbneatness, nounWord Origin for neat
C16: from Old French net, from Latin nitidus clean, shining, from nitēre to shine; related to Middle Irish niam beauty, brightness, Old Persian naiba- beautiful
British Dictionary definitions for neat (2 of 2)
neat2
/ (niːt) /
noun plural neat
archaic, or dialect a domestic bovine animal
Word Origin for neat
Old English neat
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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