From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
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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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
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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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
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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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
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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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
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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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Better \Bet"ter\, v. i.
To become better; to improve. --Carlyle.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Better \Bet"ter\, n.
One who bets or lays a wager.
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From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
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}]
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