tidy
tidy [tidy tidies tidied tidying] adjective, verb, noun BrE [ˈtaɪdi] NAmE [ˈtaɪdi]
adjective (tidi·er, tidi·est)
1. (especially BrE)arranged neatly and with everything in order
•a tidy desk
• She keeps her flat very tidy.
• I like everything to be neat and tidy.
Opp: ↑untidy
2. (especially BrE)keeping things neat and in order
• I'm a tidy person.
•tidy habits
Opp: ↑untidy
3. only before noun (informal)a tidy amount of money is fairly large
Syn: ↑considerable
• It must have cost a tidy sum.
•a tidy profit
Word Origin:
Middle English: from the noun ↑tide + ↑-y. The original meaning was ‘timely, opportune’; it later had various senses expressing approval, usually of a person, including ‘attractive’, ‘healthy’, and ‘skilful’; the sense ‘orderly, neat’ dates from the early 18th cent.
Example Bank:
•It was a neatly furnished and immaculately tidy room.
•The living room is fairly tidy.
•Why does nothing ever stay tidy around here?
•Even young children can be taught tidy habits.
•He is obsessively tidy.
•I'm not a very tidy person.
•She admired the incredibly tidy garden.
•Someone needs to keep the place tidy.
•The room was clean and tidy.
Derived Words: ↑tidily ▪ ↑tidiness
Derived: ↑tidy something away ▪ ↑tidy something up
verb (tidies, tidy·ing, tidied, tidied)intransitive, transitive (especially BrE)
to make sth look neat by putting things in the place where they belong
• I spent all morning cleaning and tidying.
•~ up When you cook, could you please tidy up after yourself.
•~ sth (up) to tidy (up) a room
Verb forms: 
Word Origin:
Middle English: from the noun ↑tide + ↑-y. The original meaning was ‘timely, opportune’; it later had various senses expressing approval, usually of a person, including ‘attractive’, ‘healthy’, and ‘skilful’; the sense ‘orderly, neat’ dates from the early 18th cent.
Example Bank:
•Go and tidy your toys away.
•I don't see why I should have to tidy up after you!
•I've got a bit of cleaning and tidying up to do first.
•She went downstairs to tidy herself up before dinner.
•He spent a few minutes tidying his desk.
•I've been tidying my room.
•She tidied up and washed the dishes.
•She wanted to tidy herself up before the appointment.
•She was always cleaning and tidying.
•When you use the kitchen please tidy up after yourself.
noun (pl. tidies)(BrE) (especially in compounds)
a container for putting small objects in, in order to keep a place tidy
•a desk tidy
Word Origin:
Middle English: from the noun ↑tide + ↑-y. The original meaning was ‘timely, opportune’; it later had various senses expressing approval, usually of a person, including ‘attractive’, ‘healthy’, and ‘skilful’; the sense ‘orderly, neat’ dates from the early 18th cent.
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