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Webster 1913 Edition

Pretty

Pret′ty

,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Prettier
;
sup
erl.
Prettiest
.]
[OE.
prati
, AS.
prættig
,
prætig
, crafty, sly, akin to
præt
,
prætt
, deceit, trickery, Icel.
prettugr
tricky,
prettr
a trick; probably fr. Latin, perhaps through Celtic; cf. W.
praith
act, deed, practice, LL.
practica
execution, practice, plot. See
Practice
.]
1.
Pleasing by delicacy or grace; attracting, but not striking or impressing; of a pleasing and attractive form a color; having slight or diminutive beauty; neat or elegant without elevation or grandeur; pleasingly, but not grandly, conceived or expressed;
as, a
pretty
face; a
pretty
flower; a
pretty
poem.
This is the
prettiest
lowborn lass that ever
Ran on the greensward.
Shakespeare
2.
Moderately large; considerable;
as, he had saved a
pretty
fortune
.
“Wavering a pretty while.”
Evelyn.
3.
Affectedly nice; foppish; – used in an ill sense.
The
pretty
gentleman is the most complaisant in the world.
Spectator.
4.
Mean; despicable; contemptible; – used ironically;
as, a
pretty
trick; a
pretty
fellow.
5.
Stout; strong and brave; intrepid; valiant.
[Scot.]
[He] observed they were
pretty
men, meaning not handsome.
Sir W. Scott.
Syn. – Elegant; neat; fine. See
Handsome
.

Pret′ty

,
adv.
In some degree; moderately; considerably; rather; almost; – less emphatic than very;
as, I am
pretty
sure of the fact;
pretty
cold weather.
Pretty
plainly professes himself a sincere Christian.
Atterbury.

Webster 1828 Edition

Pretty

PRETTY

,
Adj.
prit'ty.
1.
Having diminutive beauty; of a pleasing form with the strong lines of beauty, or without gratefulness and dignity; as a pretty face; a pretty person; a pretty flower.
The pretty gentleman is the most complaisant creature in the world.
That which is little can be but pretty, and by claiming dignity becomes ridiculous.
2.
Neat and appropriate without magnificence or splendor; as a pretty dress.
3.
Handsome; neatly arranged or ornamented; as a pretty flower bed.
4.
Neat; elegant without elevation or grandeur; as a pretty tale or story; a pretty song or composition.
5.
Sly; crafty; as, he has played his friend a pretty trick. This seems to be the sense of the word in this phrase, according with the Saxon proetig. And hence perhaps the phrase, a pretty fellow.
6.
Small; diminutive; in contempt. He will make a pretty figure in a triumph.
7.
Not very small; moderately large; as a pretty way off.
Cut off the stalks of cucumbers immediately after their bearing,close by the earth, and then cast a pretty quantity of earth upon the plant, and they will bear next year before the ordinary time. [Not in use.]

PRETTY

,
adv.
prit'ty. In some degree; tolerably; moderately; as a farm pretty well stocked; the colors became pretty vivid; I am pretty sure of the fact; the wind is pretty fair. The English farthing is pretty near the value of the American cent. In these and similar phrases, pretty expresses less than very.
The writer pretty plainly professes himself a sincere christian.

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