Dictionary

neat en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈniːt/
• [ˈnɪi̯t]

Etymology

From Middle English nete, net, nette, from Anglo-Norman neit (“good, desirable, clean”), a variant of Old French net, nette (“clean, clear, pure”), from Latin nitidus (“gleaming”), derived from nitēre (“to shine”). Doublet of net and nitid. Cognate with German nett (“nice, kind”). Compare also nait.

Meanings

1. Clean, tidy; free from dirt or impurities.
   • Then his sallow face brightened, for the hall had been carefully furnished, and was very clean. ¶ There was a neat hat-and-umbrella stand, and the stranger's weary feet fell soft on a good, serviceable dark-red drugget, which matched in colour the flock-paper on the walls. 1913, Mrs. [Marie] Belloc Lowndes, chapter II, in The Lodger, London: Methuen, →OCLC; republished in Novels of Mystery: The Lodger; The Story of Ivy; What Really Happened, New York, N.Y.: Longmans, Green and Co., […], [1933], →OCLC, page 0091:
   • A very neat old woman, still in her good outdoor coat and best beehive hat, was sitting at a polished mahogany table on whose surface there were several scored scratches so deep that a triangular piece of the veneer had come cleanly away,[…]. 1963, Margery Allingham, “Foreword”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
   • My room is neat because I tidied it this morning.  She has very neat hair.
2. Free from contaminants or impurities, unadulterated.
   • 1932, Winston Churchill, Painting as a Pastime, New York: Cornerstone Library, 1965, At one side of the palette there is white, at the other black; and neither is ever used ‘neat.’
3. (especially, of alcoholic beverages, of liquids, of wine or liquors) Unexposed to dilutionary liquids, especially water. ▸ At full strength, free from dilution (usually with water), undiluted
   • 1595, George Peele, The Old Wives’ Tale, The Malone Society Reprints, 1908, lines 464-465, A cup of neate wine of Orleance, That never came neer the brewers of England.
   • Bob applied himself steadily to the decanter, and although I nursed my own glass, not matching him drink for drink, we were neither of us, by nightfall, proper specimens of our learned professions. The carafe of water was emptied by nine, and we were drinking our whiskey neat. 1988, Thomas Flanagan, Novel, The Tenants of Time Chapter 20
   • From this same Head, this Fountain-head divine, / For different Palates springs a different Wine! / In which no Tricks, to strengthen, or to thin ’em— / Neat as imported—no French Brandy in em’— 1756, David Garrick, Catharine and Petruchio, London: J. & R. Tonson and S. Draper, Prologue:
4. (especially, of alcoholic beverages, of liquids, of liquors or cocktails) Unexposed to dilutionary liquids, especially water. ▸ Neither straight up nor on the rocks
   • I like my whisky neat, so you have no need for ice at all.
5. Conditions with a liquid reagent or gas performed with no standard solvent or cosolvent.
   • The Arbuzov reaction is performed by adding the bromide to the phosphite, neat.  The molecular beam was neat acetylene.
6. (archaic) With all deductions or allowances made; net.
   • Why without telling the least title of Falshood, within the space of the last Week’s Play, the Gains of Count Cog, really amounted to no less than Twenty Thousand Pounds Sterling neat Money. 1720, William Bond, chapter 4, in The History of the Life and Adventures of Mr. Duncan Campbell, London: E. Curll, pages 55–56:
   • It may be said, that the increase of the tax is an uncompensated reduction of the neat income of the landlord […] 1793, John Brand, The Alteration of the Constitution of the House of Commons, and the Inequality of the Land-Tax, Considered Jointly, London: J. Evans, Section III, p. 52:
   • Dr. Swift […] says, in his short view of the state of Ireland, that the whole cash of that kingdom amounted to 500,000 l. that out of this they remitted every year a neat million to England, and had scarce any other source to compensate themselves from […] 1752, David Hume, Political Discourses, Edinburgh: A. Kincaid & A. Donaldson, Discourse 5, page 81:
7. Having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful.
   • The front room was neat and carefully arranged for the guests.
8. Well-executed or delivered; clever, skillful, precise.
   • Having the two protagonists meet in the last act was a particularly neat touch.
9. Facile; missing complexity or details in the favor of convenience or simplicity.
   • Courts should not reduce this case to a neat set of legal rules.
10. (Canada, US, colloquial) Good, excellent, desirable; interesting; cool.
    • "You can tell that Rory has had this type of talent in him for some time now, and to see him putting it together is pretty neat to see." 2011 June 20, Phil Mickelson (being quoted), “US Open: Jack Nicklaus tips Rory McIlroy for greatness”, in BBC News:
    • Hey, neat convertible, man.
11. (alt-of, obsolete) Obsolete form of net (“remaining after expenses or deductions”).
    alt of net
    • What is the neat weight of 4 hogsheads of tobacco, each weighing 10cwt. 3qrs. 10lb. gross; — tare 100lb. per hdd.? 1824, Stephen Pike, The Teachers' Assistant: Or a System of Practical Arithmetic, page 97:

Forms

Antonyms

on the rocks (antonym(s) of “undiluted liquor or cocktail”)

Coordinates

up (undiluted liquor or cocktail) · straight up (undiluted liquor or cocktail) · straight (undiluted liquor or cocktail)

Deriveds

neat as a pin · neatnik · unneat · neat-handed · neat-house · in neat · neat freak · neat as ninepence · neato · overneat · neat line · neat as a button · neatly · neatness · neat and tidy · neaten · neatify · neat as a new pin · neatwork · neatresse · neat-freakery · neat weight

Translations (96)

hu takaros (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · bg изискан (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · cs tip-top (colloquial: good, excellent, desirable) · it puro (chemistry: with no solvent or cosolvent) · pt caubói (undiluted, particularly of alcoholic drinks) · cs neředěný (undiluted, particularly of alcoholic drinks) · es paja (colloquial: good, excellent, desirable) · la urbānus (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · ga críochnúil (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · hy կոկիկ (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · de pur (undiluted, particularly of alcoholic drinks) · fi taitava (well-executed or delivered; clever, skilful, precise) · grc χαλίκρητος (undiluted, particularly of alcoholic drinks) · fr pure (chemistry: with no solvent or cosolvent) · hu rendezett (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · bg отличен (colloquial: good, excellent, desirable) · fi siisti (colloquial: good, excellent, desirable) · la merus (undiluted, particularly of alcoholic drinks) · hu klassz (colloquial: good, excellent, desirable) · bg без разтворител (chemistry: with no solvent or cosolvent) · uk чепурни́й (colloquial: good, excellent, desirable) · de geschmackvoll (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · la venustus (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · la mundus (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · tl havey (colloquial: good, excellent, desirable) · ca net (archaic: with all deductions or allowances made) · hu ízléses (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · fi puhdas (archaic: with all deductions or allowances made) · hu tiszta (undiluted, particularly of alcoholic drinks) · lv glīts (well-executed or delivered; clever, skilful, precise) · de geschickt (well-executed or delivered; clever, skilful, precise) · lv glīts (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · lv glīts (colloquial: good, excellent, desirable) · pt leve (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · de gepflegt (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · tr katkısız (undiluted, particularly of alcoholic drinks) · la concinnus (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · de unverdünnt (undiluted, particularly of alcoholic drinks) · ca pur (chemistry: with no solvent or cosolvent) · ca enginyós (well-executed or delivered; clever, skilful, precise) · fi puhdas (chemistry: with no solvent or cosolvent) · bg изящен (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · hu hígítatlan (undiluted, particularly of alcoholic drinks) · fi tyylikäs (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · de toll (colloquial: good, excellent, desirable) · tl mahusay (colloquial: good, excellent, desirable) · mi tau (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · cs čistý (chemistry: with no solvent or cosolvent) · de lösungsmittelfrei (chemistry: with no solvent or cosolvent) · de klasse (colloquial: good, excellent, desirable) · de nett (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · gl curiosa (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · gl curioso (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · it ordinato (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · ca sol (undiluted, particularly of alcoholic drinks) · de prima (colloquial: good, excellent, desirable) · hu szuper (colloquial: good, excellent, desirable) · nl netjes (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · grc ἄκρατος (undiluted, particularly of alcoholic drinks) · la cōmptus (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · fr pur (chemistry: with no solvent or cosolvent) · pt cowboy (undiluted, particularly of alcoholic drinks) · fi etevä (well-executed or delivered; clever, skilful, precise) · la ēlegāns (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · el σκέτος (undiluted, particularly of alcoholic drinks) · cs čistý (undiluted, particularly of alcoholic drinks) · mi pūhangaiti (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · bg неразреден (undiluted, particularly of alcoholic drinks) · de sehr gut (colloquial: good, excellent, desirable) · de rein (chemistry: with no solvent or cosolvent) · cs fajnový (colloquial: good, excellent, desirable) · la nitidus (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · de akkurat (well-executed or delivered; clever, skilful, precise) · hu hígítatlan (chemistry: with no solvent or cosolvent) · de ordentlich (well-executed or delivered; clever, skilful, precise) · hu hatásos (well-executed or delivered; clever, skilful, precise) · fr élégant (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · de unvermischt (undiluted, particularly of alcoholic drinks) · hu vagány (colloquial: good, excellent, desirable) · pl fajny (colloquial: good, excellent, desirable) · la lautus (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · cs bezvadný (well-executed or delivered; clever, skilful, precise) · hu menő (colloquial: good, excellent, desirable) · es derecho (undiluted, particularly of alcoholic drinks) · hu rendes (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · fi raaka (undiluted, particularly of alcoholic drinks) · bg изкусен (well-executed or delivered; clever, skilful, precise) · hu találó (well-executed or delivered; clever, skilful, precise) · hu tömény (chemistry: with no solvent or cosolvent) · cs úhledný (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · it liscio (undiluted, particularly of alcoholic drinks) · hu ügyes (well-executed or delivered; clever, skilful, precise) · bg добре направен (well-executed or delivered; clever, skilful, precise) · de genau (well-executed or delivered; clever, skilful, precise) · hu szép (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful) · mi tōingo (having a simple elegance or style; clean, trim, tidy, tasteful)

neat en · INTJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈniːt/
• [ˈnɪi̯t]

Etymology

From Middle English nete, net, nette, from Anglo-Norman neit (“good, desirable, clean”), a variant of Old French net, nette (“clean, clear, pure”), from Latin nitidus (“gleaming”), derived from nitēre (“to shine”). Doublet of net and nitid. Cognate with German nett (“nice, kind”). Compare also nait.

Meanings

1. Used to signify a job well done.
2. Used to signify approval.

neat en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈniːt/
• [ˈnɪi̯t]

Etymology

From Middle English nete, net, nette, from Anglo-Norman neit (“good, desirable, clean”), a variant of Old French net, nette (“clean, clear, pure”), from Latin nitidus (“gleaming”), derived from nitēre (“to shine”). Doublet of net and nitid. Cognate with German nett (“nice, kind”). Compare also nait.

Meanings

1. (informal) An artificial intelligence researcher who believes that solutions should be elegant, clear and provably correct. Compare scruffy.

Forms

neat en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈniːt/
• [ˈnɪi̯t]

Etymology

From Middle English net, neet, from Old English nēat (“animal, beast, ox, cow, cattle”), from Proto-West Germanic *naut, from Proto-Germanic *nautą (“foredeal, profit, property, livestock”), from Proto-Indo-European *newd- (“to acquire, make use of”). Cognate with Dutch noot (“cow, cattle”, in compounds), dialectal German Noß (“livestock”), Alemannic German Nooss (“young sheep or goat”), Swedish nöt (“cattle”), Icelandic naut (“cattle, bull”) and Faroese neyt (“cattle”). More at note.

Meanings

1. (archaic) A bull or cow.
   • Who both by his calfe, & his lambe wil be known, / may well kill a neate and a shepe of his owne. / And he that wil reare up a pyg in his house, / hath cheaper his bacon, and sweter his souse. 1557 February 13 (Gregorian calendar), Thomas Tusser, “Januarye”, in A Hundreth Good Pointes of Husbandrie, London: […] Richard Tottel, →OCLC; republished London: […] Robert Triphook, […], and William Sancho, […], 1810, →OCLC, stanza 54:
   • Five were proper slender youths, the eldest of whom had not yet beard full grown, black-browed and great of jaw; the sixth, huge as a neat, topped them by half a head. 1922, E[ric] R[ücker] Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros: A Romance, London: Jonathan Cape […], →OCLC, page 17:
   • Sturdy he was, and no less able, / Then Hercules to clense a Stable; / As great: Drover, and as great / A Critick too, in Hog or Neat, 1662 (indicated as 1663), [Samuel Butler], “[The First Part of Hudibras]. Canto II.”, in Hudibras. The First and Second Parts. […], London: […] John Martyn and Henry Herringman, […], published 1678, →OCLC; republished in A[lfred] R[ayney] Waller, editor, Hudibras: Written in the Time of the Late Wars, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1905, →OCLC, page 51:
   • Thanks, i'faith; for silence is only commendable / In a neat's tongue dried. c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
   • […] he’s a present for any emperor that ever trod on neat’s leather. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:
   • […] I sat down by this water in the shade to dine, on a neat’s tongue I had got from good Mrs. Price […] 1756, Thomas Amory, chapter 28, in The Life of John Buncle, Esq., London: J. Noon, page 165:
2. (archaic, plural, plural-only) Cattle collectively.
   • And yet the steer, the heifer, and the calf / Are all call’d neat. c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
   • There on a Hillock thou mayſt ſing / Unto a handſome Shepardling; / Or to a Girle (that keeps the Neat) / VVith breath more ſvveet then Violet. 1648, Robert Herrick, “To his Muse”, in Hesperides: Or, The Works both Humane & Divine […], London: […] John Williams, and Francis Eglesfield, and are to be sold by Tho[mas] Hunt, […], →OCLC, page 2:
   • From thence into the open fields he fled, / Whereas the Heardes were keeping of their neat / And shepheards singing to their flockes, that fed, 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 467:

Forms

Deriveds

neatish · neatfoot · neatbeast · neatherd · neathouse · neatsfoot

Relateds

geneat

Synonyms

nolt

Translations (18)

bg говедо (cow, bovine) · uk віл (cow, bovine) · ru бык (cow, bovine) · es res (cow, bovine) · de Hausrind (cow, bovine) · ru коро́ва (cow, bovine) · de Rindvieh (cow, bovine) · de Hornvieh (cow, bovine) · es bovino (cow, bovine) · ro bovină (cow, bovine) · fr bétail (cow, bovine) · nl rund (cow, bovine) · he שור (cow, bovine) · fi nauta (cow, bovine) · eo bovo (cow, bovine) · uk коро́ва (cow, bovine) · pt bovino (cow, bovine) · he בקר (cow, bovine)