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15 definitions found
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 : [ gcide ]
Half \Half\ (h[aum]f), n.; pl. Halves (h[aum]vz). [AS. healf.
See Half, a.]
1. Part; side; behalf. [Obs.] --Wyclif.
[1913 Webster]
The four halves of the house. --Chaucer.
[1913 Webster]
2. One of two equal parts into which anything may be divided,
or considered as divided; -- sometimes followed by of; as,
a half of an apple.
[1913 Webster]
Not half his riches known, and yet despised.
--Milton.
[1913 Webster]
A friendship so complete
Portioned in halves between us. --Tennyson.
[1913 Webster]
Better half. See under Better.
In half, in two; an expression sometimes used improperly
instead of in halves or into halves; as, to cut in
half. [Colloq.] --Dickens.
In one's half or On one's half, in one's behalf; on one's
part. [Obs.]
To cry halves, to claim an equal share with another.
To go halves, to share equally between two.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 : [ 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.
[1913 Webster]
Could make the worse appear
The better reason. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
2. Preferable in regard to rank, value, use, fitness,
acceptableness, safety, or in any other respect.
[1913 Webster]
To obey is better than sacrifice. --1 Sam. xv.
22.
[1913 Webster]
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put
confidence in princes. --Ps. cxviii.
9.
[1913 Webster]
3. Greater in amount; larger; more.
[1913 Webster]
4. Improved in health; less affected with disease; as, the
patient is better.
[1913 Webster]
5. More advanced; more perfect; as, upon better acquaintance;
a better knowledge of the subject.
[1913 Webster]
All the better. See under All, adv.
Better half, an expression used to designate one's wife.
[1913 Webster]
My dear, my better half (said he),
I find I must now leave thee. --Sir P.
Sidney.
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
By all that's holy, he had better starve
Than but once think this place becomes thee not.
--Shak.
[1913 Webster]
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) : [ web1913 ]
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.
Could make the worse appear The better reason.
--Milton.
2. Preferable in regard to rank, value, use, fitness,
acceptableness, safety, or in any other respect.
To obey is better than sacrifice. --1 Sam. xv.
22.
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put
confidence in princes. --Ps. cxviii.
9.
3. Greater in amount; larger; more.
4. Improved in health; less affected with disease; as, the
patient is better.
5. More advanced; more perfect; as, upon better acquaintance;
a better knowledge of the subject.
All the better. See under All, adv.
Better half, an expression used to designate one's wife.
My dear, my better half (said he), I find I must now
leave thee. --Sir P.
Sidney.
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.
By all that's holy, he had better starve Than but
once think this place becomes thee not. --Shak.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) : [ web1913 ]
Half \Half\, n.; pl. Halves. [AS. healf. See Half, a.]
1. Part; side; behalf. [Obs.] --Wyclif.
The four halves of the house. --Chaucer.
2. One of two equal parts into which anything may be divided,
or considered as divided; -- sometimes followed by of; as,
a half of an apple.
Not half his riches known, and yet despised.
--Milton.
A friendship so complete Portioned in halves between
us. --Tennyson.
Better half. See under Better.
In half, in two; an expression sometimes used improperly
instead of in or into halves; as, to cut in half.
[Colloq.] --Dickens.
In, or On, one's half, in one's behalf; on one's part.
[Obs.]
To cry halves, to claim an equal share with another.
To go halves, to share equally between two.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 : [ wn ]
better half
n : a person's partner in marriage [syn: spouse, partner, married
person, mate]
From English Wiktionary: All languages (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-ALL-2023-07-27 ]
better half
n.
1 A person's spouse or lover, most commonly a man's wife.
2 (lb en archaic) A very close friend or companion.
From English Wiktionary: English language only (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-en-2023-07-27 ]
better half
n.
1 A person's spouse or lover, most commonly a man's wife.
2 (lb en archaic) A very close friend or companion.
From English Wiktionary: Western, Greek, and Slavonic languages only (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-Western_Greek_Slavonic-2023-07-27 ]
better half
n.
1 A person's spouse or lover, most commonly a man's wife.
2 (lb en archaic) A very close friend or companion.
From English Wiktionary: Western languages only (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-Western-2023-07-27 ]
better half
n.
1 A person's spouse or lover, most commonly a man's wife.
2 (lb en archaic) A very close friend or companion.
From English-Czech dicts.info/FreeDict Dictionary ver. 0.1.3 : [ freedict:eng-ces ]
better half /bˈɛtə hˈɑːf/
manželka
From English-Czech dicts.info/FreeDict Dictionary ver. 0.1.3 : [ freedict:eng-ces ]
better half /bˈɛtə hˈɑːf/
manžel
From English-suomi FreeDict+WikDict dictionary ver. 2023.05.29 : [ freedict:eng-fin ]
better half /bˈɛtə hˈɑːf/
parempi puolisko
spouse or lover
From English-Hungarian FreeDict Dictionary ver. 0.2.1 : [ freedict:eng-hun ]
better half /bˈɛtə hˈɑːf/
1. oldalborda
2. házastárs
3. feleség
From English-Svenska FreeDict+WikDict dictionary ver. 2023.05.29 : [ freedict:eng-swe ]
better half /bˈɛtə hˈɑːf/
bättre hälft
spouse or lover
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 : [ moby-thesaurus ]
23 Moby Thesaurus words for "better half":
common-law wife, concubine, consort, feme, feme covert, goodwife,
goody, helpmate, helpmeet, lady, married woman, mate, matron,
old lady, old woman, partner, rib, spouse, squaw, wedded wife,
wife, woman, yokemate
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