topsy-turvy

3 definitions found

topsy-turvy - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Topsy-turvy \Top"sy-tur"vy\, adv. [Earlier topside-turvey,
     topsy-tervy; probably for top so turvy; that is, the top as
     turvy, as it were turvy; where turvy probably means,
     overturned, fr. AS. torfian to throw.]
     In an inverted posture; with the top or head downward; upside
     down; as, to turn a carriage topsy-turvy.
     [1913 Webster]

topsy-turvy - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  topsy-turvy
      adv 1: in a disordered manner; "they were piled up higgledy-
             piggledy" [syn: higgledy-piggledy, topsy-turvy]
      2: in disorderly haste; "we ran head over heels toward the
         shelter" [syn: head over heels, heels over head, topsy-   turvy
         , topsy-turvily, in great confusion]
      adj 1: in utter disorder; "a disorderly pile of clothes" [syn:
             disorderly, higgledy-piggledy, hugger-mugger,
             jumbled, topsy-turvy]

topsy-turvy - Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 :

  19 Moby Thesaurus words for "topsy-turvy":
     backwards, chaotic, confused, disordered, disorderly, disorganized,
     every which way, head over heels, higgledy-piggledy, in a muddle,
     inverted, jumbled, messy, mixed-up, muddled, reversed, untidy,
     upside down, vice versa