Word Direct Answers

What does "neat" mean?

Neat: Free from that which soils, defiles, or disorders; clean; cleanly; tidy. If you were to see her, you would wonder what poor body it was that was so surprisingly neat and clean. Law.

Additional senses

  1. 2.Free from what is unbecoming, inappropriate, or tawdry; simple and becoming; pleasing with simplicity; tasteful; chaste; as, a neat style; a neat dress.
  2. 3.Free from admixture or adulteration; good of its kind; as, neat brandy. "Our old wine neat." Chapman.
  3. 4.Excellent in character, skill, or performance, etc.; nice; finished; adroit; as, a neat design; a neat thief.
  4. 5.With all deductions or allowances made; net. Note: [In this sense usually written net. See Net, a., 3.] neat line (Civil Engin.), a line to which work is to be built or formed. -- Neat work, work built or formed to neat lines. 'NEATH 'Neath ( or , prep. & adv. An abbreviation of Beneath. [Poetic]

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