Idioms for best

Origin of best

before 900; Middle English beste, Old English betst, best; cognate with Dutch best, Old High German bezzist (German best), Old Norse bezt, Gothic batists. See better1, -est1

Definition for best (2 of 5)

Best
[ best ]
/ bɛst /

noun

Charles Herbert,1899–1978, Canadian physiologist, born in the U.S.: one of the discoverers of insulin.

Definition for best (3 of 5)

Origin of good

before 900; Middle English (adj., adv., and noun); Old English gōd (adj.); cognate with Dutch goed, German gut, Old Norse gōthr, Gothic goths

synonym study for good

47. See property.

usage note for good

Good is common as an adverb in informal speech, especially after forms of do: He did good on the test. She sees good with her new glasses. This use does not occur in formal speech or edited writing, where the adverb well is used instead: He did well on the test. She sees well with her new glasses.
The adjective good is standard after linking verbs like taste, smell, look, feel, be, and seem: Everything tastes good. The biscuits smell good. You're looking good today. When used after look or feel, good may refer to spirits as well as health: I'm feeling pretty good this morning, ready to take on the world. Well is both an adjective and an adverb. As an adjective used after look, feel, or other linking verbs, it often refers to good health: You're looking well; we missed you while you were in the hospital. See also bad.

OTHER WORDS FROM good

qua·si-good, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH good

good well (see usage note at the current entry)

Definition for best (4 of 5)

Origin of well

1
before 900; Middle English, Old English wel(l) (adj. and adv.); cognate with Dutch wel, German wohl, Old Norse vel, Gothic waila

grammar notes for well

Sometimes an adverb like well is so often placed in front of and combined with a certain past participle in order to modify it that the resulting adjectival combination achieves the status of a common word and is listed in dictionaries. In Dictionary.com you will find, for example, entries for well-advised and well-mannered; for ill-advised, ill-bred, and ill-conceived; and for half-baked and half-cocked. Some of these terms are given full definitions, while others are considered such obvious combinations that you can figure out for yourself what they must mean. It is important to note, however, that compound adjectives like these are hyphenated for use before the noun they modify together. Thus we say that someone is “a well-loved professor,” but there would be no hyphen between well and loved in a sentence like “My English professor is well loved and deserves the award.”
In a similar manner, adjectival compounds formed with better, best, little, lesser, least, etc., are also hyphenated when placed before the noun ( a little-understood theory ), but the hyphen is dropped when the adjectival combination follows the noun ( his films are best known in England ) or is itself modified by an adverb ( a too little understood theory ).
There are exceptions to this pattern. For example, when the combining adverb ends in –ly, no hyphen is required, whether the resulting adjectival combination appears before or after the noun: a highly regarded surgeon; a surgeon who is highly regarded.
Don’t let the hyphens fool you. Punctuation can be tricky!

usage note for well

See good.

Definition for best (5 of 5)

Origin of well

2
before 900; (noun) Middle English well(e), Old English wylle, wella, welle; cognate with German Welle wave; (v.) Middle English wellen, Old English wellan (cognate with Dutch wellen, Old Norse vella); both noun and v. ultimately akin to weallan to boil

Example sentences from the Web for best

British Dictionary definitions for best (1 of 5)

Word Origin for best

Old English betst; related to Gothic batista, Old High German bezzist

British Dictionary definitions for best (2 of 5)

Best
/ (bɛst) /

noun

Charles Herbert . 1899–1978, Canadian physiologist: associated with Banting and Macleod in their discovery of insulin in 1922
George . 1946–2005, Northern Ireland footballer

British Dictionary definitions for best (3 of 5)

good
/ (ɡʊd) /

adjective better or best

interjection

an exclamation of approval, agreement, pleasure, etc

noun

See also goods

Derived forms of good

goodish, adjective

Word Origin for good

Old English gōd; related to Old Norse gōthr, Old High German guot good

British Dictionary definitions for best (4 of 5)

Word Origin for well

Old English wel; related to Old High German wala, wola (German wohl), Old Norse val, Gothic waila

British Dictionary definitions for best (5 of 5)

well 2
/ (wɛl) /

noun

verb

to flow or cause to flow upwards or outwards tears welled from her eyes

Word Origin for well

Old English wella; related to Old High German wella (German Welle wave), Old Norse vella boiling heat

Medical definitions for best

Best
[ bĕst ]
Charles Herbert 1899-1978

American-born Canadian physiologist noted for the discovery and successful clinical application of insulin.

Scientific definitions for best (1 of 2)

Best
[ bĕst ]
Charles Herbert 1899-1978

American-born Canadian physiologist who assisted Frederick Banting in the discovery of the hormone insulin. In acknowledgment of his work, Banting shared his portion of the 1923 Nobel Prize with Best. In addition to further refining the use of insulin, Best later discovered the vitamin choline and the enzyme histaminase, which breaks down histamine.

Scientific definitions for best (2 of 2)

well
[ wĕl ]

A deep hole or shaft sunk into the Earth to tap a liquid or gaseous substance such as water, oil, gas, or brine. If the substance is not under sufficient pressure to flow freely from the well, it must be pumped or raised mechanically to the surface. Water or pressurized gas is sometimes pumped into a nonproducing oil well to push petroleum resources out of underground reservoirs. See also artesian well.

Idioms and Phrases with best (1 of 3)

best

Idioms and Phrases with best (2 of 3)

good

Idioms and Phrases with best (3 of 3)

well