Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BE-TRAY'AL, n.

Betrayment.

BE-TRAY'ED, pp.

Delivered up in breach of trust; violated by unfaithfulness, exposed by breach of confidence; disclosed contrary to expectation or intention; made known.

BE-TRAY'ER, n.

One who betrays; a traitor.

BE-TRAY'ING, ppr.

Delivering up treacherously; violating confidence; disclosing contrary to intention; exposing.

BE-TRAY'MENT, n.

Act of betraying; breach of trust.

BE-TRIM', v.t. [be and trim.]

To deck; to dress; to adorn; to grace; to embellish; to beautify; to decorate. – Shak.

BE-TRIM'MED, pp.

Adorned; decorated.

BE-TRIM'MING, ppr.

Decking; adorning; embellishing.

BE-TROTH', v.t. [be and troth, truth, faith. See Truth, and Troth.]

1. To contract to any one, in order to a future marriage; to promise or pledge one to be the future spouse of another; to affiance; used of either sex. “The father betroths his daughter.”
2. To contract with one for a future spouse; to espouse; as, a man betroths a lady.
3. To nominate to a bishopric, in order to consecration. – Ayliffe.

BE-TROTH'ED, pp.

Contracted for future marriage.

BE-TROTH'ING, ppr.

Contracting to any one, in order to a future marriage, as the father or guardian; contracting with one for a future wife, as the intended husband; espousing.

BE-TROTH'MENT, n.

A mutual promise or contract between two parties, for a future marriage between the persons betrothed; espousals. – Encyc.

BE-TRUST', v.t. [be and trust.]

To intrust; to commit to another in confidence of fidelity; to confide. This is less used than intrust. – Hall.

BE-TRUST'ED, pp.

Intrusted; confided; committed in trust.

BE-TRUST'ING, ppr.

Intrusting; committing in trust.

BE-TRUST'MENT, n.

The act of intrusting; the thing intrusted. – Judge Chipman.

BET'SO, n.

The smallest Venetian coin. – Mason.

BET'TED, pp.

Laid as a wager.

BET'TER, a. [comp. of Bet. See Best. Sax. bet, more, better; betere, betera, better; Sw. bätter; D. beter; G. besser; D. baat, profit; baaten, to boot, to avail; Sans. bhadra, good. The primary sense is more, or advanced further; and in America, this is a common popular signification. This vessel contains better than half, that is, more than half; he walked better than a mile, that is, more than a mile.]

1. Having good qualities in a greater degree than another; applied to physical, acquired, or moral qualities; as, a better soil, a better man, a better physician, a better house, a better air, a better harvest.
2. More advantageous. Were it not better for us to return to Egypt. – Ex. xiv.
3. More acceptable. To obey is better than sacrifice. – 1 Sam. xv.
4. More safe. It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man. – Ps. cxviii.
5. Improved in health; less affected with disease; as, the patient is better.
6. To be better off, to be in a better condition. Beddoes, Hygeia. This is a very common phrase; but ought not off, to be of? It is not elegant.
7. To have the better, is to have the advantage or superiority, followed by of before him or that over which the advantage is enjoyed; as, the English had the better of the Spaniards.
8. To get or gain the better, is to obtain the advantage, superiority, or victory; as, to get the better of an enemy.
9. For the better, is for the advantage or improvement.

BET'TER, adv.

1. In a more excellent manner; with more skill and wisdom, virtue, advantage, or success; as, to perform work better; to plan a scheme better; land better cultivated; laws better executed; government better administered.
2. More correctly, or fully; as, to understand a subject better than another.
3. With superior excellence; as, to write or speak better than another.
4. With more affection; in a higher degree; as, to love one better than another. It is not easy to specify and exemplify the various applications of better. In general, it implies what is more excellent, advantageous, useful, or virtuous, than something else.

BET'TER, n.

A superior; one who has a claim to precedence on account of his rank, age, or office; as, give place to your betters. It is generally or always used in the plural.

BET'TER, v.t. [Sax. beterian, betrian. See Better.]

1. To improve; to meliorate; to increase the good qualities of; as, manure betters land; discipline may better the morals.
2. To surpass; to exceed. The works of nature do always aim at that which can not be bettered. – Hooker. Qu. is not the sense, made better?
3. To advance; to support; to give advantage to; as, to better a party; to better a cause.

BET'TER-ED, pp.

Improved; meliorated; made better.

BET'TER-ING, ppr.

Making better; improving.

BET'TER-ING-HOUSE, n.

A house for the reformation of offenders.