titivate

tit•i•vate (TIT-uh-veyt)  v

Definition:
to smarten or spruce up (oneself or another or a thing), as by making up, doing the hair, etc.


titivated past participle; titivated past tense; titivating present participle; titivates 3rd person singular present; titivation, titivator noun

Origin:
1824; alteration of earlier tidivate, perhaps based on tidy with a quasi-Latin ending

Related:
Synonyms: beautify, embellish, preen, primp, spruce

Sentence Examples:
• 'Yes,' he answered. 'I can be there and back in an hour or less. You titivate yourself, and we'll dine at the Savoy, or anywhere you please. We'll keep the ball rolling to-night. Yes,' he repeated, as if to convince himself that he was not a deserter, 'I really must call in at the office. You and John can see to the luggage, can't you?' -Tales of the Five Towns, Arnold Bennett

• Before we proceed on our way, the foppery of our charioteer reasserts itself. Of course, his neat and spruce trim has been considerably disarrayed, so now he proceeds to reorganize his appearance. Gravely and calmly he draws brushes and so on from a receptacle under the box-seat, and commences to titivate himself.  -Brighter Britain!, William Delisle Hay

• So here I am, at least what is left of me, and dreadful glad I am to see you too; but as it is about your dinner hour I will go and titivate up a bit, and then we will have a dish of chat for desert, and cigars, to remind us of by-gones, as we stroll through your shady walks here. - Nature and Human Nature, Thomas Chandler Haliburton

Sources: Free Dictionary

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