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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Nature \Na"ture\ (?; 135), n. [F., fr. L. natura, fr. natus
born, produced, p. p. of nasci to be born. See Nation.]
1. The existing system of things; the universe of matter,
energy, time and space; the physical world; all of
creation. Contrasted with the world of mankind, with its
mental and social phenomena.
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But looks through nature up to nature's God. --Pope.
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When, in the course of human Events, it becomes
necessary for one People to dissolve the Political
Bonds which have connected them with another, ans to
assume among the powers of the earth the separate
and equal Station which the Laws of Nature and of
Nature's God entitle them, a decent Respect to the
Opinions of Mankind requires that they should
declare the causes that impel them to the
Separation. --Declaration
of
Independence
Nature has caprices which art can not imitate.
--Macaulay.
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2. The personified sum and order of causes and effects; the
powers which produce existing phenomena, whether in the
total or in detail; the agencies which carry on the
processes of creation or of being; -- often conceived of
as a single and separate entity, embodying the total of
all finite agencies and forces as disconnected from a
creating or ordering intelligence; as, produced by nature;
the forces of nature.
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I oft admire
How Nature, wise and frugal, could commit
Such disproportions. --Milton.
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3. The established or regular course of things; usual order
of events; connection of cause and effect.
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4. Conformity to that which is natural, as distinguished from
that which is artificial, or forced, or remote from actual
experience.
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One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.
--Shak.
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5. The sum of qualities and attributes which make a person or
thing what it is, as distinct from others; native
character; inherent or essential qualities or attributes;
peculiar constitution or quality of being.
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Thou, therefore, whom thou only canst redeem,
Their nature also to thy nature join,
And be thyself man among men on earth. --Milton.
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6. Hence: Kind, sort; character; quality.
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A dispute of this nature caused mischief. --Dryden.
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7. Physical constitution or existence; the vital powers; the
natural life. "My days of nature." --Shak.
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Oppressed nature sleeps. --Shak.
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8. Natural affection or reverence.
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Have we not seen
The murdering son ascend his parent's bed,
Through violated nature force his way? --Pope.
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9. Constitution or quality of mind or character.
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A born devil, on whose nature
Nurture can never stick. --Shak.
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That reverence which is due to a superior nature.
--Addison.
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Good nature, Ill nature. see under Good and Ill.
In a state of nature.
(a) Naked as when born; nude.
(b) In a condition of sin; unregenerate.
(c) Untamed; uncivilized.
Nature printing, a process of printing from metallic or
other plates which have received an impression, as by
heavy pressure, of an object such as a leaf, lace, or the
like.
Nature worship, the worship of the personified powers of
nature.
To pay the debt of nature, to die.
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