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topsy-turvy
[ top-see-tur-vee ]
/ ˈtɒp siˈtɜr vi /
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adverb
adjective
turned upside down; inverted; reversed: a topsy-turvy reflection.
confused or disorderly: a topsy-turvy classroom.
noun, plural top·sy-tur·vies.
inversion of the natural order.
a state of confusion or disorder.
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Origin of topsy-turvy
1520–30; perhaps variant of top syd turvye topside down (with loss of d before t); turvy, variant of tervy, equivalent to obsolete terve to turn over (cognate with Old High German zerben) + -y1
OTHER WORDS FROM topsy-turvy
top·sy-tur·vi·ly, adverbtop·sy·tur·vi·ness, nounWords nearby topsy-turvy
topsmelt, topsoil, topspin, topstitch, top surgery, topsy-turvy, topsy-turvydom, top ten, top-tier, top timber, top to toe
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use topsy-turvy in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for topsy-turvy
topsy-turvy
/ (ˈtɒpsɪˈtɜːvɪ) /
adjective
upside down
in a state of confusion
adverb
in a topsy-turvy manner
noun
a topsy-turvy state
Word Origin for topsy-turvy
C16: probably from tops, plural of top 1 + obsolete tervy to turn upside down; perhaps related to Old English tearflian to roll over
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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