topsy-turvily
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siˈtɜr adverb
1.
with the top where the bottom should be; upside down.
2.
in or into a reversed condition or order.
3.
in or into a state of confusion or disorder.
adjective
4.
turned upside down; inverted; reversed: a topsy-turvy reflection.
5.
confused or disorderly: a topsy-turvy classroom.
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Topsy-turvily
is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
noun
6.
inversion of the natural order.
7.
a state of confusion or disorder.
Origin:
1520–30; perhaps variant of top syd turvye topside down (with loss of d before t); turvy, variant of tervy, equivalent to obsolete terve to turn over (cognate with Old High German zerben) + -y1
1520–30; perhaps variant of top syd turvye topside down (with loss of d before t); turvy, variant of tervy, equivalent to obsolete terve to turn over (cognate with Old High German zerben) + -y1
Related forms
top·sy-tur·vi·ly, adverb
top·sy·tur·vi·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To topsy-turvily
Collins
World English Dictionary
topsy-turvy (ˈtɒpsɪˈtɜːvɪ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | upside down |
| 2. | in a state of confusion |
| —adv | |
| 3. | in a topsy-turvy manner |
| —n | |
| 4. | a topsy-turvy state |
| [C16: probably from tops, plural of | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
topsy-turvy
1528, "but prob. in popular use from an earlier period" [OED], likely from tops, pl. of top (1) "highest point" + obsolete terve "turn upside down, topple over," from O.E. tearflian "to roll over, overturn," from P.Gmc. *terbanan (cf. O.H.G. zerben "to turn round").
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary
topsy-turvy definition[ˈtɑpsiˈtɚvi]
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Nearby Words
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