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nifty - 3 dictionary results

nif⋅ty

  [nif-tee] adjective, -ti⋅er, -ti⋅est, noun, plural -ties. Informal.
Use nifty in a Sentence
–adjective
1. attractively stylish or smart: a nifty new dress for Easter.
2. very good; fine; excellent: a nifty idea.
3. substantial; sizable: We sold the car for a nifty profit.
–noun
4. something nifty, as a clever remark or joke.
Origin:
1860–65, Americanism; of obscure orig.

Related forms:
nif⋅ti⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To nifty
nif·ty   (nĭf'tē)   
adj.   nif·ti·er, nif·ti·est
First-rate; great: a nifty idea.
n.   pl. nif·ties
A nifty person or thing, especially a clever joke.

[Origin unknown.]
nif'ti·ly adv., nif'ti·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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nifty 
1868, perhaps theatrical slang, first attested in a poem by Bret Harte, who said it was a shortened, altered form of magnificat (q.v.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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