Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Neat, trim, and smart; dapper.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Neat; tidy; spruce.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective colloq. Neatly dressed; smart; trim; tidy; spruce.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective informal Smart and fashionable.
  • adjective knotty (e. g. natty dreadlocks)

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective marked by up-to-dateness in dress and manners

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Perhaps variant of obsolete netty, from net, elegant, from Middle English, from Old French; see neat.]

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Examples

  • Broward, not usually known as a natty dresser, sauntered up in a linen suit the color of new butter and proceeded to lambaste Davis for his alliance with “land pirates and purchased newspapers.”

    Dream State Diane Roberts 2008

  • Interestingly, I thought "natty" meant the exact opposite of what it does.

    Operation: Stay Dipped | ATTACKERMAN 2009

  • Saddam begins earnestly, from his position behind his desk, looking kind of natty in a light grey double breasted jacket and a white Panama hat with a black hat band, "This will take away some of the son's love for the father."

    Merrill Markoe: Hygiene Tips: Saddam's Forgotten Legacy 2008

  • It may easily be made longer, if desired, but the model is an excellent one for ordinary wear, and very "natty," and it has the merit of being quickly knitted.

    Handbook of Wool Knitting and Crochet Anonymous

  • The leading man wore a "natty" outing-suit, and strutted with a little cane; his stock-in-trade was a jaunty air, a kind of perpetual flourish, and a wink that suggested the cunning of a satyr.

    The Metropolis Upton Sinclair 1923

  • This could hardly be wondered at, for taking into consideration the "natty" appearance of the privateer, the lubberly way in which she was sailed, standing so far off wind when she ought to have been close to it if she were sailing her course, was enough to excite anybody's suspicions.

    True To His Colors Harry Castlemon 1878

  • But it's not all jah and irie in the scene, and too many reggae shows in town seem to be imbued with a spirit I can only describe as "Eugene-y," stressing the line between "natty" and "hippie."

    Portland Events: Music, Art, Entertainment, Sustainability PDXPIPELINE 2010

  • If "natty" somehow means something positive, then god (sic) has a special plan for you.

    Drowned In Sound // Feed 2009

  • If you see any pics of the Wehrmact invading Poland, you'll see various tank commanders having this kind of natty headgear!

    Army Rumour Service 2009

  • If you see any pics of the Wehrmact invading Poland, you'll see various tank commanders having this kind of natty headgear!

    Army Rumour Service 2009

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