neat1

 
Pronunciation: /niːt/

adjective

  • 1arranged in a tidy way; in good order: the books had been stacked up in neat piles
  • (of a person) habitually tidy, smart, or well organized: her daughter was always neat and clean
  • having a pleasing appearance; well formed: Alan noted down the orders in his neat, precise script
  • 2done with or demonstrating skill or efficiency: a neat bit of deduction
  • tending to disregard specifics for the sake of convenience; facile: this neat division does not take into account a host of associated factors
  • 3(of liquid, especially spirits) not diluted or mixed with anything else: he drank neat Scotch
  • 4North American informal very good; excellent: I took lessons in tracking from this really neat Indian guide

Origin:

late 15th century (in the sense 'clean, free from impurities'): from French net, from Latin nitidus 'shining', from nitere 'to shine'; related to net2. The sense 'bright' (now obsolete) was recorded in English in the late 16th century