<HEAD><TITLE>DICTIONARY: best - bestud</TITLE></HEAD>
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<A NAME="best">
<B>best, </B>adjective, superlative of <B>good,</B> adverb, noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>most good, excellent, or useful. <BR> <I>Ex. the best way to do anything. Her work is good; my work is better; but his is best. He is the best student in the class.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>largest. <BR> <I>Ex. Teachers spend the best part of the day at school.</I> (SYN) greatest, most. <DD><B> 3. </B>chief. <BR> <I>Ex. our best hope. It is the best of all trades to make songs And the second best to sing them (Hilaire Belloc).</I> <DD><I>adv. </I> superlative of <B>well</B> (1). <B>1. </B>in the most excellent way; most thoroughly. <BR> <I>Ex. Who reads best?</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>in or to the highest degree. <BR> <I>Ex. I like this book best. He said it that knew it best (Francis Bacon).</I> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the person or thing that is best. <BR> <I>Ex. Most parents want the best for their children. He is the best in the class. To seek out the best through the whole Union (Thomas Jefferson).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the most that is possible; utmost. <BR> <I>Ex. I did my best to finish the work on time.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>best clothes. <BR> <I>Ex. dressed in their Sunday best.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>the greatest part. <BR> <I>Ex. the best of three games.</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> (Informal.) to outdo; defeat; outwit. <BR> <I>Ex. The wrestler was quickly bested by the stronger man.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B></B>(<B>all</B>) <B>for the best,</B> </I>not so bad as it seems. <BR> <I>Ex. I hope all's for the best (Shakespeare).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>as best one can,</B> </I>to the best of one's ability. <BR> <I>Ex. Places east of that Eden must look out for themselves as best they can (Manchester Guardian Weekly).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>at best,</B> </I>under the most favorable circumstances. <BR> <I>Ex. Summer is at best very short.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>at one's best,</B> <DD><B> a. </B>in one's best health or spirits. </I> <I>Ex. At his best he's still a rather dull fellow.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>at the peak of one's ability, strength, etc.. <BR> <I>Ex. Most athletes are at their best during their early manhood.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>get the best of,</B> </I>to defeat. <BR> <I>Ex. The lawyer easily got the best of his opponent in the debate.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>had best,</B> </I>will be wise to; should; ought to. <BR> <I>Ex. You had best leave before the storm breaks.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>have the best of,</B> </I>to have or win the advantage in. <BR> <I>Ex. The lawyer certainly had the best of the argument.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>make the best of,</B> </I>to do as well as possible with. <BR> <I>Ex. Try to make the best of a bad job.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>one's level best,</B> </I>(Informal.) as well as one can do; one's very best. <BR> <I>Ex. He has done his level best to improve things (Harper's).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>to the best of,</B> </I>with as much as possible of. <BR> <I>Ex. She ... will always serve you ... to the best of her ability (Charlotte Bronte).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>with the best,</B> </I>as well as anyone. <BR> <I>Ex. He can play tennis with the best.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="bestain">
<B>bestain, </B>transitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> to mark with stains. </DL>
<A NAME="bestar">
<B>bestar, </B>transitive verb, <B>-starred,</B> <B>-starring.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to adorn with or as if with stars. </DL>
<A NAME="bestballmatch">
<B>best-ball match,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a golf match between two pairs, with a ball to each of the four players. At every hole the lowest score in each pair counts to decide the match. </DL>
<A NAME="bestbower">
<B>best bower,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the joker in certain card games. </DL>
<A NAME="bestboy">
<B>best boy,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the assistant of the lighting supervisor on a motion-picture or television set; gaffer's assistant. </DL>
<A NAME="bestead">
<B>bestead</B> (1), transitive verb, <B>-steaded,</B> <B>-steaded</B> or <B>-stead,</B> <B>-steading.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Archaic.) to be of help to; assist. (SYN) serve, avail. </DL>
<B>bester, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a hybrid sturgeon developed in the former Soviet Union for its ability to spawn in its home grounds instead of migrating upstream. </DL>
<A NAME="bestgirl">
<B>best girl,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a favorite girl friend. </DL>
<A NAME="bestial">
<B>bestial, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1a. </B>like a beast; beastly; brutish. (SYN) base, brutal, depraved, vile. <DD><B> b. </B>sensual; obscene. (SYN) gross, coarse, carnal. <DD><B> 2. </B>of beasts. <BR> <I>Ex. the bestial signs of the zodiac.</I> adv. <B>bestially.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="bestiality">
<B>bestiality, </B>noun, pl. <B>-ties.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>bestial conduct or character. (SYN) brutality, irrationality, loathsomeness, depravity. <DD><B> 2. </B>unrestricted indulgence; lust; sensuality. <DD><B> 3. </B>a bestial act or practice. </DL>
<A NAME="bestialize">
<B>bestialize, </B>transitive verb, <B>-ized,</B> <B>-izing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to make bestial; brutalize; debase. noun <B>bestialization.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="bestiarist">
<B>bestiarist, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the author of a bestiary. </DL>
<A NAME="bestiary">
<B>bestiary, </B>noun, pl. <B>-aries.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a treatise on beasts or animals, such as those written in the Middle Ages, with allegorical and moralistic stories about animals. </DL>
<A NAME="besticulture">
<B>besticulture, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the industries based upon exploitation of native animal life; hunting, trapping, and fishing, collectively. </DL>
<A NAME="bestinshow">
<B>best-in-show, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the animal that wins the highest prize in a dog show, cat show, or other animal competition. </DL>
<A NAME="bestir">
<B>bestir, </B>transitive verb, <B>-stirred,</B> <B>-stirring.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to rouse to action; stir up; exert. <BR> <I>Ex. The cat was napping in the sun, hardly able to bestir itself for its dinner.</I> (SYN) arouse, activate. </DL>
<A NAME="bestman">
<B>best man,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the chief attendant of the bridegroom at a wedding. </DL>
<A NAME="bestness">
<B>bestness, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the quality of being best. </DL>
<A NAME="bestow">
<B>bestow, </B>transitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to give (something) as a gift; give. <BR> <I>Ex. Education bestows many benefits. The President bestowed a medal on the hero.</I> (SYN) present, confer. <DD><B> 2. </B>to make use of; apply. <DD><B> 3. </B>to give in marriage. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Archaic.) to put safely; store. <DD><B> 5. </B>(Archaic.) to find quarters for; lodge. <BR> <I>Ex. Sir, can you tell, where he bestows himself (Shakespeare).</I> adj. <B>bestowable.</B> noun <B>bestower.</B> noun <B>bestowment.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="bestowal">
<B>bestowal, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the act of bestowing. <BR> <I>Ex. the bestowal of his daughter in marriage.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="bestraddle">
<B>bestraddle, </B>transitive verb, <B>-dled,</B> <B>-dling.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to bestride; straddle. </DL>
<A NAME="bestreak">
<B>bestreak, </B>transitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> to mark with streaks. </DL>
<A NAME="bestrew">
<B>bestrew, </B>transitive verb, <B>-strewed,</B> <B>-strewed</B> or <B>-strewn,</B> <B>-strewing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to strew (a surface) with things; scatter; sprinkle. <BR> <I>Ex. Little children bestrewed the path with flowers.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to strew or scatter (things) about. <DD><B> 3. </B>to lie scattered over (a surface). <BR> <I>Ex. Papers bestrewed the park.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="bestrewn">
<B>bestrewn, </B>adjective, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> scattered about. <BR> <I>Ex. a daisy-bestrewn lawn.</I> <DD><I>verb </I> bestrewed; a past participle of <B>bestrew.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="bestrid">
<B>bestrid, </B>verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> a past tense and a past participle of <B>bestride.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="bestridden">
<B>bestridden, </B>verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> a past participle of <B>bestride:</B> <BR> <I>Ex. The knight has bestridden the horse.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="bestride">
<B>bestride, </B>transitive verb, <B>-strode</B> or <B>-strid,</B> <B>-stridden</B> or <B>-strid,</B> <B>-striding.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to get on, sit on, or stand over (something) with one leg on each side; straddle. You can bestride a horse, a chair, or a fence. <DD><B> 2. </B>to stand over (something) with one leg on each side; straddle over. <BR> <I>Ex. (Figurative.) Why man, he doth bestride the narrow world Like a Colossus (Shakespeare).</I> (SYN) bestraddle. <DD><B> 3. </B>to stride across; step over. </DL>
<A NAME="bestrode">
<B>bestrode, </B>verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> a past tense of <B>bestride:</B> <BR> <I>Ex. The knight bestrode his horse.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="bestrow">
<B>bestrow, </B>transitive verb, <B>-strowed,</B> <B>-strowed</B> or <B>-strewn,</B> <B>-strowing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Archaic.) to bestrew. </DL>
<A NAME="bestseller">
<B>best seller,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>anything, especially a book, that has a very large sale. <DD><B> 2. </B>the author of a best-selling book. </DL>
<A NAME="bestsellerdom">
<B>best-sellerdom, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Informal.) <DD><B> 1. </B>the authors, musicians, etc., who have produced best sellers, as a group. <DD><B> 2. </B>a position within this group. <BR> <I>Ex. ... even Ernest Hemingway reached best-sellerdom fairly late (Harper's).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="bestselling">
<B>best-selling, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> that is a best seller. <BR> <I>Ex. the best-selling novel of the year.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="bestud">
<B>bestud, </B>transitive verb, <B>-studded,</B> <B>-studding.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to stud over; dot. <BR> <I>Ex. a bracelet bestudded with jewels.</I> </DL>
