better
    adv 1: comparative of `well'; in a better or more excellent
           manner or more advantageously or attractively or to a
           greater degree etc.; "She had never sung better"; "a deed
           better left undone"; "better suited to the job"
    2: from a position of superiority or authority; "father knows
       best"; "I know better." [syn: better, best]
    adj 1: (comparative of `good') superior to another (of the same
           class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or
           desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than
           another; "You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din"; "a
           better coat"; "a better type of car"; "a suit with a
           better fit"; "a better chance of success"; "produced a
           better mousetrap"; "she's better in math than in history"
           [ant: worse]
    2: (comparative of `good') changed for the better in health or
       fitness; "her health is better now"; "I feel better" [ant:
       worse, worsened]
    3: (comparative and superlative of `well') wiser or more
       advantageous and hence advisable; "it would be better to
       speak to him"; "the White House thought it best not to
       respond" [syn: better(p), best(p)]
    4: more than half; "argued for the better part of an hour"
    n 1: something superior in quality or condition or effect; "a
         change for the better"
    2: someone who bets [syn: bettor, better, wagerer,
       punter]
    3: a superior person having claim to precedence; "the common man
       has been kept in his place by his betters"
    4: the superior one of two alternatives; "chose the better of
       the two"
    v 1: surpass in excellence; "She bettered her own record";
         "break a record" [syn: better, break]
    2: to make better; "The editor improved the manuscript with his
       changes" [syn: better, improve, amend, ameliorate,
       meliorate] [ant: aggravate, exacerbate, exasperate,
       worsen]
    3: get better; "The weather improved toward evening" [syn:
       better, improve, ameliorate, meliorate] [ant:
       decline, worsen]

Good \Good\, a. [Compar. Better; superl. Best. These words,
   though used as the comparative and superlative of good, are
   from a different root.] [AS. G[=o]d, akin to D. goed, OS.
   g[=o]d, OHG. guot, G. gut, Icel. g[=o][eth]r, Sw. & Dan. god,
   Goth. g[=o]ds; prob. orig., fitting, belonging together, and
   akin to E. gather. [root]29 Cf. Gather.]
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   1. Possessing desirable qualities; adapted to answer the end
      designed; promoting success, welfare, or happiness;
      serviceable; useful; fit; excellent; admirable;
      commendable; not bad, corrupt, evil, noxious, offensive,
      or troublesome, etc.
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            And God saw everything that he had made, and behold,
            it was very good.                     --Gen. i. 31.
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            Good company, good wine, good welcome. --Shak.
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   2. Possessing moral excellence or virtue; virtuous; pious;
      religious; -- said of persons or actions.
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            In all things showing thyself a pattern of good
            works.                                --Tit. ii. 7.
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   3. Kind; benevolent; humane; merciful; gracious; polite;
      propitious; friendly; well-disposed; -- often followed by
      to or toward, also formerly by unto.
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            The men were very good unto us.       --1 Sam. xxv.
                                                  15.
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   4. Serviceable; suited; adapted; suitable; of use; to be
      relied upon; -- followed especially by for.
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            All quality that is good for anything is founded
            originally in merit.                  --Collier.
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   5. Clever; skillful; dexterous; ready; handy; -- followed
      especially by at.
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            He . . . is a good workman; a very good tailor.
                                                  --Shak.
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            Those are generally good at flattering who are good
            for nothing else.                     --South.
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   6. Adequate; sufficient; competent; sound; not fallacious;
      valid; in a commercial sense, to be depended on for the
      discharge of obligations incurred; having pecuniary
      ability; of unimpaired credit.
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            My reasons are both good and weighty. --Shak.
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            My meaning in saying he is a good man is . . . that
            he is sufficient . . . I think I may take his bond.
                                                  --Shak.
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   7. Real; actual; serious; as in the phrases in good earnest;
      in good sooth.
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            Love no man in good earnest.          --Shak.
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   8. Not small, insignificant, or of no account; considerable;
      esp., in the phrases a good deal, a good way, a good
      degree, a good share or part, etc.
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   9. Not lacking or deficient; full; complete.
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            Good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and
            running over.                         --Luke vi. 38.
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   10. Not blemished or impeached; fair; honorable; unsullied;
       as in the phrases a good name, a good report, good
       repute, etc.
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             A good name is better than precious ointment.
                                                  --Eccl. vii.
                                                  1.
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   As good as. See under As.

   For good, or For good and all, completely and finally;
      fully; truly.
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            The good woman never died after this, till she came
            to die for good and all.              --L'Estrange.

   Good breeding, polite or polished manners, formed by
      education; a polite education.
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            Distinguished by good humor and good breeding.
                                                  --Macaulay.

   Good cheap, literally, good bargain; reasonably cheap.

   Good consideration (Law).
       (a) A consideration of blood or of natural love and
           affection. --Blackstone.
       (b) A valuable consideration, or one which will sustain a
           contract.

   Good fellow, a person of companionable qualities.
      [Familiar]

   Good folk, or Good people, fairies; brownies; pixies,
      etc. [Colloq. Eng. & Scot.]

   Good for nothing.
       (a) Of no value; useless; worthless.
       (b) Used substantively, an idle, worthless person.
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                 My father always said I was born to be a good
                 for nothing.                     --Ld. Lytton.

   Good Friday, the Friday of Holy Week, kept in some churches
      as a fast, in memoory of our Savior's passion or
      suffering; the anniversary of the crucifixion.

   Good humor, or Good-humor, a cheerful or pleasant temper
      or state of mind.

   Good humor man, a travelling vendor who sells Good Humor
      ice-cream (or some similar ice-cream) from a small
      refrigerated truck; he usually drives slowly through
      residential neighborhoods in summertime, loudly playing
      some distinctive recorded music to announce his presence.
      [U. S.]

   Good nature, or Good-nature, habitual kindness or
      mildness of temper or disposition; amiability; state of
      being in good humor.
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            The good nature and generosity which belonged to his
            character.                            --Macaulay.
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            The young count's good nature and easy
            persuadability were among his best characteristics.
                                                  --Hawthorne.

   Good people. See Good folk (above).

   Good speed, good luck; good success; godspeed; -- an old
      form of wishing success. See Speed.

   Good turn, an act of kidness; a favor.

   Good will.
       (a) Benevolence; well wishing; kindly feeling.
       (b) (Law) The custom of any trade or business; the
           tendency or inclination of persons, old customers and
           others, to resort to an established place of
           business; the advantage accruing from tendency or
           inclination.
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                 The good will of a trade is nothing more than
                 the probability that the old customers will
                 resort to the old place.         --Lord Eldon.

   In good time.
       (a) Promptly; punctually; opportunely; not too soon nor
           too late.
       (b) (Mus.) Correctly; in proper time.

   To hold good, to remain true or valid; to be operative; to
      remain in force or effect; as, his promise holds good; the
      condition still holds good.

   To make good, to fulfill; to establish; to maintain; to
      supply (a defect or deficiency); to indemmify; to prove or
      verify (an accusation); to prove to be blameless; to
      clear; to vindicate.
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            Each word made good and true.         --Shak.
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            Of no power to make his wishes good.  --Shak.
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            I . . . would by combat make her good. --Shak.
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            Convenient numbers to make good the city. --Shak.

   To think good, to approve; to be pleased or satisfied with;
      to consider expedient or proper.
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            If ye think good, give me my price; and if not,
            forbear.                              --Zech. xi.
                                                  12.
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   Note: Good, in the sense of wishing well, is much used in
         greeting and leave-taking; as, good day, good night,
         good evening, good morning, etc.
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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.
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            Could make the worse appear
            The better reason.                    --Milton.
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   2. Preferable in regard to rank, value, use, fitness,
      acceptableness, safety, or in any other respect.
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            To obey is better than sacrifice.     --1 Sam. xv.
                                                  22.
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            It is better to trust in the Lord than to put
            confidence in princes.                --Ps. cxviii.
                                                  9.
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   3. Greater in amount; larger; more.
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   4. Improved in health; less affected with disease; as, the
      patient is better.
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   5. More advanced; more perfect; as, upon better acquaintance;
      a better knowledge of the subject.
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   All the better. See under All, adv.

   Better half, an expression used to designate one's wife.
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            My dear, my better half (said he),
            I find I must now leave thee.         --Sir P.
                                                  Sidney.
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   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.
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               By all that's holy, he had better starve
               Than but once think this place becomes thee not.
                                                  --Shak.
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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.
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            Love betters what is best.            --Wordsworth.
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            He thought to better his circumstances. --Thackeray.
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   2. To improve the condition of, morally, physically,
      financially, socially, or otherwise.
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            The constant effort of every man to better himself.
                                                  --Macaulay.
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   3. To surpass in excellence; to exceed; to excel.
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            The works of nature do always aim at that which can
            not be bettered.                      --Hooker.
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   4. To give advantage to; to support; to advance the interest
      of. [Obs.]
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            Weapons more violent, when next we meet,
            May serve to better us and worse our foes. --Milton.
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   Syn: To improve; meliorate; ameliorate; mend; amend; correct;
        emend; reform; advance; promote.
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Better \Bet"ter\, n.
   1. Advantage, superiority, or victory; -- usually with of;
      as, to get the better of an enemy.
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   2. One who has a claim to precedence; a superior, as in
      merit, social standing, etc.; -- usually in the plural.
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            Their betters would hardly be found.  --Hooker.
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   For the better, in the way of improvement; so as to produce
      improvement. "If I have altered him anywhere for the
      better." --Dryden.
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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.
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            I could have better spared a better man. --Shak.
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   2. More correctly or thoroughly.
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            The better to understand the extent of our
            knowledge.                            --Locke.
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   3. In a higher or greater degree; more; as, to love one
      better than another.
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            Never was monarch better feared, and loved. --Shak.
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   4. More, in reference to value, distance, time, etc.; as, ten
      miles and better. [Colloq.]
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   To think better of (any one), to have a more favorable
      opinion of any one.

   To think better of (an opinion, resolution, etc.), to
      reconsider and alter one's decision.
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Better \Bet"ter\, v. i.
   To become better; to improve. --Carlyle.
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Better \Bet"ter\, n.
   One who bets or lays a wager.
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