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A heathen; a pagan. [Obs.] No better reported than impure ethnic and lay dogs. Milton.

The act of calling out or forth. Sir. T. Browne. The evocation of that better spirit. M. Arnold.

ing to evoke; developing. Evocative power over all that is eloquent and expressive in the better soul of man. W. Pater.

Forming an exception; not ordinary; uncommon; rare; hence, better than the average; superior. Lyell. This particular spot had exceptional advantages. Jowett (Th. ) -- Ex*cep"tion*al*ly(#), adv.

To cover with better, or better appearing, material than the mass consists of, for purpose of deception, as the surface of a box of tea, a barrel of sugar, etc.

To manipulate fraudulently, so as to make an object appear better or other than it really is; as, to fake a bulldog, by burning his upper lip and thus artificially shortening it.

s. Be a complete summer fallow, land is rendered tender and mellow. The fallow gives it a better tilth than can be given by a fallow crop. Sinclair. Fallow crop, the crop taken from a green fallow. [Eng.] -- Green fallow, fallow whereby land is rendered mellow and clean from weeds, by cultivating some green crop, as tu…

untrustworthy; to confute; to disprove; to nullify; to make to appear false. By how much better than my word I am, By so much shall I falsify men's hope. Shak. Jews and Pagans united all their endeavors, under Julian the apostate, to baffie and falsify the prediction. Addison.

Defect; want; lack; default. One, it pleases me, for fault of a better, to call my friend. Shak.

, as between roof and parapet wall, with mortar, or cement, where flashing is employed in better work.

t; superior; elegant; worthy of admiration; accomplished; beautiful. The gain thereof [is better] than fine gold. Prov. iii. 14. A cup of wine that's brisk and fine. Shak. Not only the finest gentleman of his time, but one of the finest scholars. Felton. To soothe the sick bed of so fine a being [Keats]. Leigh Hunt.…

rce, of necessity; unavoidably; imperatively. "Good reasons must, of force, give place to better." Shak. -- Plastic force (Physiol.), the force which presumably acts in the growth and repair of the tissues. -- Vital force (Physiol.), that force or power which is inherent in organization; that form of energy which is…

nces, and provision against them; prevision; premeditation. His calm, deliberate forecast better fitted him for the council than the camp. Prescott.

orfend. God forefend it should ever be recorded in our history. Landor. It would be a far better work . . . to forefend the cruelty. I. Taylor.

To deprive; -- with of. [R.] All the better; may This night forestall him of the coming day! Shak.

Earlier, as between two things mentioned together; first mentioned. A bad author deserves better usage than a bad critic; a man may be the former merely through the misfortune of an ill judgment; but he can not be latter without both that and an ill temper. Pope.

Without prospect of betterment in the future. W. D. Howells.

ith. (c) To win ground upon; to move faster than, as in a race or contest. (d) To get the better of; to have the advantage of. The English have not only gained upon the Venetians in the Levant, but have their cloth in Venice itself. Addison. My good behavior had so far gained on the emperor, that I began to conceive ho…

some hidden danger; hence, standing agape; idly or stupidly gazing. I that rather held it better men should perish one by one, Than that earth should stand at gaze like Joshua's moon in Ajalon! Tennyson.

unsullied; as in the phrases a good name, a good report, good repute, etc. A good name is better than precious ointment. Eccl. vii. 1. As good as. See under As. -- For good, or For good and all, completely and finally; fully; truly. The good woman never died after this, till she came to die for good and all. L'Estrang…