tidy

ti|dy¹ [ˈtaıdi] adj comparative tidier superlative tidiest

especially BrE

[Date: 1700-1800; Origin: tidy 'at an appropriate time' (13-18 centuries), from tide]

1.) a room, house, desk etc that is tidy is neatly arranged with everything in the right place

= ↑neat

≠ ↑untidy, messy ↑messy

▪ a tidy desk

▪ I try to keep the garden tidy .

▪ Ellen's room is always neat and tidy .

2.) someone who is tidy keeps their house, clothes etc neat and clean

▪ Chris is a naturally tidy person.

3.) a tidy sum/profit informal

a large amount of money

▪ We sold the house for a tidy sum and moved south.

4.) a tidy mind

BrE if someone has a tidy mind, the way they think is very organized and clear

>tidily adv

>tidiness n [U]

tidy ²

tidy² also tidy up past tense and past participle tidied present participle tidying third person singular tidies

v [I and T]

to make a place look tidy

▪ Tidy your room!

▪ It's time we tidied up the office.

tidy up after sb

▪ I'm tired of tidying up after you boys (=tidying somewhere that someone else has made untidy) .

tidy away [tidy sth<=>away] phr v

BrE to put something back in the place where it should be, especially in a cupboard, drawer etc

▪ Let's tidy these toys away.

tidy ³

tidy³ plural tidies

n BrE

desk/car/sink tidy

a container for putting small objects in, used to keep your desk, car etc tidy