How Did the Word “Neat” Originate and What Does it Mean?

The word neat, although dated, is often used to describe something pleasing.

It is also used to order a shot of alcohol straight from the bottle without any mix or ice, and it’s within this context that the word became popular.

The original meaning of neat was to describe anything clean or undiluted, without any impurities.

This gave us the extension of meaning tidy, as in a teenager keeping a neat room, which is a neat idea.