Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Neat \Neat\, n. sing. & pl. [AS. ne['a]t; akin to OHG. n?z,
Icel. naut, Sw. n["o]t, Dan. n["o]d, and to AS. ne['o]tan to
make use of, G. geniessen, Goth. niutan to have a share in,
have joy of, Lith. nauda use, profit.] (Zo["o]l.)
Cattle of the genus {Bos}, as distinguished from horses,
sheep, and goats; an animal of the genus {Bos}; as, a neat's
tongue; a neat's foot. --Chaucer.
Wherein the herds[men] were keeping of their neat.
--Spenser.
The steer, the heifer, and the calf Are all called
neat. --Shak.
A neat and a sheep of his own. --Tusser.
{Neat's-foot}, an oil obtained by boiling the feet of neat
cattle. It is used to render leather soft and pliable.
Neat \Neat\, a. [See {neat}, n.]
Of or pertaining to the genus {Bos}, or to cattle of that
genus; as, neat cattle.
Neat \Neat\, a. [Compar. {Neater}; superl. {Neatest}.] [OE.
nett, F. nett, fr. L. nitidus, fr. nitere to shine. Cf.
{Nitid}, {Net}, a., {Natty}.]
1. 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.
2. Free from what is unbecoming, inappropriate, or tawdry;
simple and becoming; pleasing with simplicity; tasteful;
chaste; as, a neat style; a neat dress.
3. Free from admixture or adulteration; good of its kind; as,
neat brandy. ``Our old wine neat.'' --Chapman.
4. Excellent in character, skill, or performance, etc.; nice;
finished; adroit; as, a neat design; a neat thief.
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.
Syn: Nice; pure; cleanly; tidy; trim; spruce.
Source : WordNet®
neat
adj 1: clean or orderly; "her neat dress"; "a neat room"
2: showing care in execution; "neat homework"; "neat
handwriting"
3: free from what is tawdry or unbecoming; "a neat style"; "a
neat set of rules"; "she hated to have her neat plans
upset" [syn: {refined}, {tasteful}]
4: free from clumsiness; precisely or deftly executed; "he
landed a clean left on his opponent's cheek"; "a clean
throw"; "the neat exactness of the surgeon's knife" [syn:
{clean}]
5: very good; "he did a bully job"; "a neat sports car"; "had a
great time at the party"; "you look simply smashing" [syn:
{bang-up}, {bully}, {corking}, {cracking}, {dandy}, {great},
{groovy}, {keen}, {nifty}, {not bad(p)}, {peachy}, {slap-up},
{swell}, {smashing}]
6: without water; "took his whiskey neat" [syn: {straight}, {full-strength}]