Betongue Be·tongue" transitive verb To attack with the tongue; to abuse; to insult.

Betony Bet"o·ny noun ; plural Betonies [ Middle English betony , betany , French betoine , from Latin betonica , vettonica .] (Botany) A plant of the genus Betonica (Linn.).

» The purple or wood betony ( B. officinalis , Linn.) is common in Europe, being formerly used in medicine, and (according to Loudon) in dyeing wool a yellow color.

Betook Be·took" imperfect of Betake .

Betorn Be·torn" adjective Torn in pieces; tattered.

Betoss Be·toss transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Betossed ] To put in violent motion; to agitate; to disturb; to toss. "My betossed soul." Shak.

Betrap Be·trap" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Betrapped ] 1. To draw into, or catch in, a trap; to insnare; to circumvent. Gower.

2. To put trappings on; to clothe; to deck.

After them followed two other chariots covered with red satin, and the horses betrapped with the same.
Stow.

Betray Be·tray" (be*trā") transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Betrayed (-trād"); present participle & verbal noun Betraying .] [ Middle English betraien , bitraien ; prefix be- + Old French traïr to betray, French trahir , from Latin tradere . See Traitor .] 1. To deliver into the hands of an enemy by treachery or fraud, in violation of trust; to give up treacherously or faithlessly; as, an officer betrayed the city.

Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men.
Matt. xvii. 22.

2. To prove faithless or treacherous to, as to a trust or one who trusts; to be false to; to deceive; as, to betray a person or a cause.

But when I rise, I shall find my legs betraying me.
Johnson.

3. To violate the confidence of, by disclosing a secret, or that which one is bound in honor not to make known.

Willing to serve or betray any government for hire.
Macaulay.

4. To disclose or discover, as something which prudence would conceal; to reveal unintentionally.

Be swift to hear, but cautious of your tongue, lest you betray your ignorance.
T. Watts.

5. To mislead; to expose to inconvenience not foreseen to lead into error or sin.

Genius . . . often betrays itself into great errors.
T. Watts.

6. To lead astray, as a maiden; to seduce (as under promise of marriage) and then abandon.

7. To show or to indicate; -- said of what is not obvious at first, or would otherwise be concealed.

All the names in the country betray great antiquity.
Bryant.

Betrayal Be·tray"al noun The act or the result of betraying.

Betrayer Be·tray"er noun One who, or that which, betrays.

Betrayment Be·tray"ment noun Betrayal. [ R.] Udall.

Betrim Be·trim" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Betrimmed ; present participle & verbal noun Betrimming .] To set in order; to adorn; to deck, to embellish; to trim. Shak.

Betroth Be·troth" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Betrothed ; present participle & verbal noun Betrothing .] [ Prefix be- + troth , i. e., truth . See Truth .] 1. To contract to any one for a marriage; to engage or promise in order to marriage; to affiance; -- used esp. of a woman.

He, in the first flower of my freshest age,
Betrothed me unto the only heir.
Spenser.

Ay, and we are betrothed .
Shak.

2. To promise to take (as a future spouse); to plight one's troth to.

What man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her?
Deut. xx. 7.

3. To nominate to a bishopric, in order to consecration. Ayliffe.

Betrothal Be·troth"al noun The act of betrothing, or the fact of being betrothed; a mutual promise, engagement, or contract for a future marriage between the persons betrothed; betrothment; affiance. "The feast of betrothal ." Longfellow.

Betrothment Be·troth"ment noun The act of betrothing, or the state of being betrothed; betrothal.

Betrust Be·trust" transitive verb To trust or intrust. [ Obsolete]

Betrustment Be·trust"ment noun The act of intrusting, or the thing intrusted. [ Obsolete] Chipman.

Betso Bet"so noun [ Italian bezzo .] A small brass Venetian coin. [ Obsolete]

Better Bet"ter adjective ; compar . of Good. [ Middle English betere , bettre , and as adverb bet , Anglo-Saxon betera , adj., and bet , adverb ; akin to Icelandic betri , adj., betr , adverb , Goth. batiza , adj., Old High German bezziro , adj., baz , adverb , German besser , adj. and adverb , bass , adverb , English boot , and probably to Sanskrit bhadra excellent. See Boot advantage, and confer 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 , adverb -- 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 ). 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.

Better Bet"ter noun 1. Advantage, superiority, or victory; -- usually with of; as, to get the better of an enemy.

2. One who has a claim to precedence; a superior, as in merit, social standing, etc.; -- usually in the plural.

Their betters would hardly be found.
Hooker.

For the better , in the way of improvement; so as to produce improvement. "If I have altered him anywhere for the better ." Dryden.

Better Bet"ter adverb ; compar. of Well . 1. In a superior or more excellent manner; with more skill and wisdom, courage, virtue, advantage, or success; as, Henry writes better than John; veterans fight better than recruits.

I could have better spared a better man.
Shak.

2. More correctly or thoroughly.

The better to understand the extent of our knowledge.
Locke.

3. In a higher or greater degree; more; as, to love one better than another.

Never was monarch better feared, and loved.
Shak.

4. More, in reference to value, distance, time, etc.; as, ten miles and better . [ Colloq.]

To think better of (any one), to have a more favorable opinion of any one. -- To think better of (an opinion, resolution, etc.), to reconsider and alter one's decision.

Better Bet"ter transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Bettered ; present participle & verbal noun Bettering .] [ Anglo-Saxon beterian , betrian , from betera better. See Better , adjective ] 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. [ Obsolete]

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.

Better Bet"ter intransitive verb To become better; to improve. Carlyle.

Better Bet"ter noun One who bets or lays a wager.

Betterment Bet"ter·ment noun 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.

Bettermost Bet"ter·most` adjective Best. [ R.] "The bettermost classes." Brougham.

Betterness Bet"ter·ness noun 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.

Bettong Bet"tong noun [ Native name.] (Zoology) A small, leaping Australian marsupial of the genus Bettongia ; the jerboa kangaroo.

Bettor Bet"tor noun One who bets; a better. Addison.

Betty Bet"ty noun 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.

Betulin Bet"u·lin noun [ Latin betula birch tree.] (Chemistry) 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.

Betumble Be·tum"ble transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Betumbled ] To throw into disorder; to tumble. [ R.]

From her betumbled couch she starteth.
Shak.

Betutor Be·tu"tor transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Betutored ] To tutor; to instruct. Coleridge.

Between Be·tween" preposition [ Middle English bytwene , bitweonen , Anglo-Saxon betweónan , betweónum ; prefix be- by + a form from Anglo-Saxon twā two, akin to Goth. tweihnai two apiece. See Twain , and confer Atween , Betwixt .] 1. In the space which separates; betwixt; as, New York is between Boston and Philadelphia.

2. Used in expressing motion from one body or place to another; from one to another of two.

If things should go so between them.
Bacon.

3. Belonging in common to two; shared by both.

Castor and Pollux with only one soul between them.
Locke.

4. Belonging to, or participated in by, two, and involving reciprocal action or affecting their mutual relation; as, opposition between science and religion.

An intestine struggle, open or secret, between authority and liberty.
Hume.

5. With relation to two, as involved in an act or attribute of which another is the agent or subject; as, to judge between or to choose between courses; to distinguish between you and me; to mediate between nations.

6. In intermediate relation to, in respect to time, quantity, or degree; as, between nine and ten o'clock.

Between decks , the space, or in the space, between the decks of a vessel. -- Between ourselves , Between you and me , Between themselves , in confidence; with the understanding that the matter is not to be communicated to others.

Syn. -- Between , Among . Between etymologically indicates only two; as, a quarrel between two men or two nations; to be between two fires, etc. It is however extended to more than two in expressing a certain relation.

I . . . hope that between public business, improving studies, and domestic pleasures, neither melancholy nor caprice will find any place for entrance.
Johnson.

Among implies a mass or collection of things or persons, and always supposes more than two; as, the prize money was equally divided among the ship's crew.

Between Be·tween" noun Intermediate time or space; interval. [ Poetic & R.] Shak.

Betwixt Be·twixt" preposition [ Middle English betwix , bitwix , rarely bitwixt , Anglo-Saxon betweox , betweohs , betweoh , betwīh ; prefix be- by + a form from Anglo-Saxon twā two. See Between .] 1. In the space which separates; between.

From betwixt two aged oaks.
Milton.

2. From one to another of; mutually affecting.

There was some speech of marriage
Betwixt myself and her.
Shak.

Betwixt and between , in a midway position; so-so; neither one thing nor the other. [ Colloq.]

Beurré Beur·ré" noun [ French, from beurre butter.] (Botany) A beurré (or buttery) pear, one with the meat soft and melting; -- used with a distinguishing word; as, Beurré d'Anjou; Beurré Clairgeau.

Bevel Bev"el noun [ C. French biveau , earlier buveau , Spanish baivel ; of unknown origin. Confer Bevile .] 1. Any angle other than a right angle; the angle which one surface makes with another when they are not at right angles; the slant or inclination of such surface; as, to give a bevel to the edge of a table or a stone slab; the bevel of a piece of timber.

2. An instrument consisting of two rules or arms, jointed together at one end, and opening to any angle, for adjusting the surfaces of work to the same or a given inclination; -- called also a bevel square . Gwilt.

Bevel Bev"el adjective 1. Having the slant of a bevel; slanting.

2. Hence: Morally distorted; not upright. [ Poetic]

I may be straight, though they themselves be bevel .
Shak.

A bevel angle , any angle other than one of 90°. -- Bevel wheel , a cogwheel whose working face is oblique to the axis. Knight.

Bevel Bev"el transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Beveled or Bevelled ; present participle & verbal noun Beveling or Bevelling .] To cut to a bevel angle; to slope the edge or surface of.

Bevel Bev"el intransitive verb To deviate or incline from an angle of 90°, as a surface; to slant.

Their houses are very ill built, the walls bevel .
Swift.

Bevel gear Bev"el gear` (Mech.) A kind of gear in which the two wheels working together lie in different planes, and have their teeth cut at right angles to the surfaces of two cones whose apices coincide with the point where the axes of the wheels would meet.

Beveled, Bevelled Bev"eled, Bev"elled adjective 1. Formed to a bevel angle; sloping; as, the beveled edge of a table.

2. (Min.) Replaced by two planes inclining equally upon the adjacent planes, as an edge; having its edges replaced by sloping planes, as a cube or other solid.

Bevelment Bev"el·ment noun (Min.) The replacement of an edge by two similar planes, equally inclined to the including faces or adjacent planes.

Bever Be"ver noun [ Middle English bever a drink, drinking time, Old French beivre , boivre , to drink, from Latin bibere .] A light repast between meals; a lunch. [ Obsolete] Beau. & Fl.

Bever Be"ver intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Bevered ] To take a light repast between meals. [ Obsolete]

Beverage Bev"er·age noun [ Old French bevrage , French breuvage , from beivre to drink, from Latin bibere . Confer Bib , transitive verb , Poison , Potable .] 1. Liquid for drinking; drink; -- usually applied to drink artificially prepared and of an agreeable flavor; as, an intoxicating beverage .

He knew no beverage but the flowing stream.
Thomson.

2. Specifically, a name applied to various kinds of drink.

3. A treat, or drink money. [ Slang]

Bevile Bev"ile noun [ See Bevel .] (Her.) A chief broken or opening like a carpenter's bevel. Encyc. Brit.

Beviled, Bevilled Bev"iled, Bev"illed adjective (Her.) Notched with an angle like that inclosed by a carpenter's bevel; -- said of a partition line of a shield.

Bevy Bev"y noun ; plural Bevies [ Perhaps orig. a drinking company, from Old French bevée (cf. Italian beva ) a drink, beverage; then, perhaps , a company in general, esp. of ladies; and last applied by sportsmen to larks, quails, etc. See Beverage .] 1. A company; an assembly or collection of persons, especially of ladies.

What a bevy of beaten slaves have we here !
Beau. & Fl.

2. A flock of birds, especially quails or larks; also, a herd of roes.

Bewail Be·wail" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Bewailed ; present participle & verbal noun Bewailing .] To express deep sorrow for, as by wailing; to lament; to wail over.

Hath widowed and unchilded many a one,
Which to this hour bewail the injury.
Shak.

Syn. -- To bemoan; grieve. -- See Deplore .

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