Better

Better
Better Bet"ter, a.; compar. of Good. [OE. betere, bettre, and as adv. bet, AS. betera, adj., and bet, adv.; akin to Icel. betri, adj., betr, adv., Goth. batiza, adj., OHG. bezziro, adj., baz, adv., G. besser, adj. and adv., bass, adv., E. boot, and prob. to Skr. bhadra excellent. See {Boot} advantage, and cf. {Best}, {Batful}.] 1. Having good qualities in a greater degree than another; as, a better man; a better physician; a better house; a better air. [1913 Webster]

Could make the worse appear The better reason. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

2. Preferable in regard to rank, value, use, fitness, acceptableness, safety, or in any other respect. [1913 Webster]

To obey is better than sacrifice. --1 Sam. xv. 22. [1913 Webster]

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. --Ps. cxviii. 9. [1913 Webster]

3. Greater in amount; larger; more. [1913 Webster]

4. Improved in health; less affected with disease; as, the patient is better. [1913 Webster]

5. More advanced; more perfect; as, upon better acquaintance; a better knowledge of the subject. [1913 Webster]

{All the better}. See under {All}, adv.

{Better half}, an expression used to designate one's wife. [1913 Webster]

My dear, my better half (said he), I find I must now leave thee. --Sir P. Sidney. [1913 Webster]

{To be better off}, to be in a better condition.

{Had better}. (See under {Had}).

Note: The phrase had better, followed by an infinitive without to, is idiomatic. The earliest form of construction was ``were better'' with a dative; as, ``Him were better go beside.'' (--Gower.) i. e., It would be better for him, etc. At length the nominative (I, he, they, etc.) supplanted the dative and had took the place of were. Thus we have the construction now used. [1913 Webster]

By all that's holy, he had better starve Than but once think this place becomes thee not. --Shak. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Better — is the comparative form of the adjective good .Better may also refer to: * to better as a verb means that someone or something has undergone betterment *better, an alternate spelling of bettor, as a noun, is someone who bets (gambles) *Better, a… …   Wikipedia

  • better — better1 [bet′ər] adj. [ME bettere, betere < OE betera: see BEST] 1. compar. of GOOD 2. of a more excellent sort; surpassing another or others 3. more suitable, more desirable, more favorable, more profitable, etc. 4. being more than half;… …   English World dictionary

  • better — adj Better, superior, preferable mean more worthy or more pleasing than another or others. Better, which often serves as the comparative of good, in this sense implies a quality or character in a person or thing that surpasses or exceeds that in… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Better — Bet ter, adv.; compar. of {Well}. 1. In a superior or more excellent manner; with more skill and wisdom, courage, virtue, advantage, or success; as, Henry writes better than John; veterans fight better than recruits. [1913 Webster] I could have… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • better — 1. had better. This common idiom is used in the form We had better go home or We d better go home; the negative form is We d better not go home and the interrogative Hadn t we better go home?. Informally (but not in more formal contexts), the… …   Modern English usage

  • Better — Bet ter, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Bettered}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Bettering}.] [AS. beterian, betrian, fr. betera better. See {Better}, a.] 1. To improve or ameliorate; to increase the good qualities of. [1913 Webster] Love betters what is best.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • better — [adj1] excelling, more excellent bigger, choice, exceeding, exceptional, finer, fitter, greater, higher quality, improved, larger, more appropriate, more desirable, more fitting, more select, more suitable, more useful, more valuable, preferable …   New thesaurus

  • Better — Bet ter, n. 1. Advantage, superiority, or victory; usually with of; as, to get the better of an enemy. [1913 Webster] 2. One who has a claim to precedence; a superior, as in merit, social standing, etc.; usually in the plural. [1913 Webster]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Better — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Better es una canción de la banda de hard rock estadounidense Guns N Roses, que aparece en su sexto disco de estudio Chinese Democracy , album del cuál también es el segundo sencillo que se ha lanzado hasta el… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Better — Bet ter, v. i. To become better; to improve. Carlyle. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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