Part 629

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.

Love betters what is best. Wordsworth.

He thought to better his circumstances. Thackeray.

2. To improve the condition of, morally, physically, financially, socially, or otherwise.

The constant effort of every man to better himself. Macaulay.

3. To surpass in excellence; to exceed; to excel.

The works of nature do always aim at that which can not be bettered. Hooker.

4. To give advantage to; to support; to advance the interest of. [Obs.]

Weapons more violent, when next we meet, May serve to better us and worse our foes. Milton.

Syn. -- To improve; meliorate; ameliorate; mend; amend; correct; emend; reform; advance; promote.

Bet"ter, v. i. To become better; to improve. Carlyle.

Bet"ter, n. One who bets or lays a wager.

Bet"ter*ment (&?;), n. 1. A making better; amendment; improvement. W. Montagu.

2. (Law) An improvement of an estate which renders it better than mere repairing would do; -- generally used in the plural. [U. S.] Bouvier.

Bet"ter*most` (&?;), a. Best. [R.] "The bettermost classes." Brougham.

Bet"ter*ness, n. 1. The quality of being better or superior; superiority. [R.] Sir P. Sidney.

2. The difference by which fine gold or silver exceeds in fineness the standard.

||Bet"tong (&?;), n. [Native name.] (Zoöl.) A small, leaping Australian marsupial of the genus Bettongia; the jerboa kangaroo.

Bet"tor (&?;), n. One who bets; a better. Addison.

Bet"ty (&?;), n. 1. [Supposed to be a cant word, from Betty, for Elizabeth, as such an instrument is also called Bess (i. e., Elizabeth) in the Canting Dictionary of 1725, and Jenny (i. e., Jane).] A short bar used by thieves to wrench doors open. [Written also bettee.]

The powerful betty, or the artful picklock. Arbuthnot.

2. [Betty, nickname for Elizabeth.] A name of contempt given to a man who interferes with the duties of women in a household, or who occupies himself with womanish matters.

3. A pear-shaped bottle covered round with straw, in which olive oil is sometimes brought from Italy; -- called by chemists a Florence flask. [U. S.] Bartlett.

Bet"u*lin (&?;), n. [L. betula birch tree.] (Chem.) A substance of a resinous nature, obtained from the outer bark of the common European birch (Betula alba), or from the tar prepared therefrom; -- called also birch camphor. Watts.

Be*tum"ble (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Betumbled (&?;).] To throw into disorder; to tumble. [R.]

From her betumbled couch she starteth. Shak.

Be*tu"tor (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Betutored (&?;).] To tutor; to instruct. Coleridge.

Be*tween" (&?;), prep. [OE. bytwene, bitweonen, AS. betweónan, betweónum; prefix be- by + a form fr. AS. tw two, akin to Goth. tweihnai two apiece. See Twain, and cf. Atween, Betwixt.] 1. In the space which separates; betwixt; as, New York is between Boston and Philadelphia.