neat

¹

[neet]

adjective

neater, neatest 

1. in a pleasingly orderly and clean condition.

   a neat room.

   Synonyms: smart, spruce
   Antonyms: sloppy

2. habitually orderly and clean in appearance or habits.

   a neat person.

3. of a simple, pleasing appearance, style, design, etc..

   a neat cottage.

4. cleverly effective in character or execution: a neat solution.

   a neat scheme;

   a neat solution.

   Synonyms: wonderful, well-planned

5. Slang.,  great; excellent; fine.

   What a neat car!

6. clever, dexterous, or apt.

   She gave a neat characterization of the old woman.

   Synonyms: adroit
   Antonyms: maladroit

7. (of liquid, especially liquor) straight.

   Synonyms: pure, unmixed
   Antonyms: mixed

8. Building Trades.

   1. (of cement) without sand or other aggregate.

   2. (of plaster) without any admixture except hair or fiber.

9. net.

   neat profits.

adverb

1. Informal.,  neatly.

neat

²

[neet]

noun

plural

neat 

1. an animal of the genus Bos; a bovine, as a cow or ox.

neat

¹

/ niːt /

adjective

1. clean, tidy, and orderly

2. liking or insisting on order and cleanliness; fastidious

3. smoothly or competently done; efficient

   a neat job

4. pat or slick

   his excuse was suspiciously neat

5. (of alcoholic drinks) without added water, lemonade, etc; undiluted

6. a less common word for net 2

   neat profits

7. slang,  good; pleasing; admirable

neat

²

/ niːt /

noun

1. archaic,  a domestic bovine animal

Other Word Forms

• neatly adverb
• neatness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of neat¹

First 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; -id ⁴

Origin of neat²

First recorded before 900; Middle English net, nete, nette, Old English nēat, cognate with Old Norse naut, Middle Dutch noot; akin to Old English nēotan “to use, possess”

Word History and Origins

Origin of neat¹

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

Origin of neat²

Old English neat

Example Sentences

Alexander had the neatest handwriting and took notes on each applicant, while Beowulf and Cassiopeia escorted the ladies in and out of the parlor.

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She undid her hair, brushed it out, and rewound it into a neat, freshly pinned bun.

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The children eagerly obeyed and gathered their possessions into neat piles, which they proceeded to measure.

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“But . . . ,” he said again, thinking about the neat stack of monthly bills on the kitchen counter and all the Y2K supplies they could buy with a hundred and fifty dollars.

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I straightened my pearls, brushed the front of my skirt to make sure it was neat, squared my shoulders, and walked up the steps.

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Related Words

• accurate 
• elegant 
• immaculate 
• orderly 
• precise 
• sleek 
• slick 
• smart 
• spotless 
• tidy 
• well-kept