transitive. To beautify, adorn, embellish (literal and figurative); to enhance, improve. Cf. hightle, v.

To adorn, deck (the person).

transitive. To attire, dress, deck out, trick out, ‘tittivate’ (one's person, hair, etc.). (In 18th cent. like French attifer, usually familiar.)

transitive. To trim, deck, or embellish (oneself, the brows, etc.).

figurative. To trim, make smooth or elegant.

transitive. To make clean, trim, or neat; to titivate. Now only: spec. (of a bird) to preen. Frequently reflexive. Also intransitive with…

Of a person. Cf. preen, v.2 1. transitive. To tidy (the hair, clothes, etc.) with great attention to detail; to smarten or spruce up; to primp…

transitive. To prepare, make ready, put in order; to dress.

transferred. To invest with a bright or glossy appearance; to smear or stain with some substance similar to varnish.

transitive. To make beautiful or elegant; to smarten up. Obsolete.

transitive. To dress up, adorn, deck or trick out (in a trifling or time-wasting way). Obsolete.

transitive (reflexive). To adorn oneself; to make oneself fine or beautiful. rare.

transitive. To cover as with buds.

transitive. To dress, array, attire; to deck, prank; to adorn (usually with the notion of artifice). Const. with, in. Also intransitive with it. Also…

To sketch or draw in outline; to delineate or trace the outline of (obsolete); spec. in Heraldry, to draw (a coat of arms) in outline, the…

transitive. To trim, deck, dress up. (Also absol.)

Often strengthened with up, off, out.

colloquial. transitive. To make tidy, spruce, or smart; to dress up, deck out, adorn. Frequently reflexive. Also figurative.

transitive. To smarten up (oneself or another, one's appearance, etc.); to make trim or gay. Frequently with up.

With up: To make spruce, smart, or trim.

transitive. To make smart or trim; to deck or trick up.

transitive. To make attractive, neat, or smart; to deck out; to brighten or embellish. Chiefly with up. Obsolete.

transitive. To make (the hair, clothes, etc.) neat and tidy; to smarten (something) up. Also reflexive: to neaten one's appearance, esp. in a fussy…

Similarly without up. Obsolete.

transitive. To make ‘tricksy’ or spruce.

transitive. colloquial. To make up (the face, etc.) with cosmetics. Obsolete.

transitive. To smarten (a person) up; to dress (a person) smartly or attractively. Also reflexive.

transitive. To smarten up; to dress finely, to trim. Obsolete.

to sleek up, to make presentable, or of attractive appearance.

transitive. To trick, deck, adorn: = trick, v. 5.

intransitive. To assume a formal, precise, or demure look or air; to set the lips or face demurely or alluringly; to pout. Also transitive with it…

transitive. To improve the appearance of (a person) by tidying the hair, putting on make-up, etc.; to make (oneself or one's hair) look neater…

transitive. To give the character or style of a dandy to; to make trim or smart like a dandy.

transitive. To smarten up.

transitive. To make lustrous.

transitive. To dress (someone) up so as to appear fashionable, smart, or eye-catching; to smarten or spruce up.

transitive. To dress up finely or elaborately; to deck up. Also intransitive (for reflexive) and transferred.

To dress up or adorn (a person), usually in a showy or gaudy manner; to titivate; also reflexive and intransitive for reflexive. Frequently trans…

transitive. To make (a person) appear more youthful.

transitive. To clothe or adorn in an affected or effeminate manner. Frequently reflexive and with up.

(a) intransitive to make one's living as a spiv; (b) transitive to spiff, to spruce (oneself) up.

To prettify; to doll up (see doll, v.2).

transitive. To smarten up (someone or something); to make (something) more stylish, attractive, or exciting. Also with up.