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Utmost; highest endeavor or state; most nearly perfect thing, or being, or action; as, to do one's best; to the best of our ability. At best, in the utmost degree or extent applicable to the case; under the most favorable circumstances; as, life is at best very short. -- For best, finally. [Obs.] "Those constitutions…

An early form of Better. [Obs.] To go bet, to go fast; to hurry. [Obs.] Chaucer.

In good season or time; before it is late; seasonably; early. To measure life learn thou betimes. Milton. To rise betimes is often harder than to do all the day's work. Barrow.

Occurring twice a year; half-yearly; semiannual.

Having two earlike projections at its base, as a leaf.

That part of a ship's hull or bottom which is broadest and most nearly flat, and on which she would rest if aground.

Quality of being bilingual. The bilingualism of King's English. Earle.

A prism whose refracting angle is very nearly 180 degrees.

which prevails on the northern coasts of the Mediterranean and in Switzerland, etc.; -- nearly the same as the mistral.

The old English or Gothic letter, in which the Early English manuscripts were written, and the first English books were printed. It was conspicuous for its blackness. See Type.

Having a blade or blades; as a two-bladed knife. Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grass. Shak.

eople, esp. at night. -- Blind cat (Zoöl.), a species of catfish (Gronias nigrolabris), nearly destitute of eyes, living in caverns in Pennsylvania. -- Blind coal, coal that burns without flame; anthracite coal. Simmonds. -- Blind door, Blind window, an imitation of a door or window, without an opening for passage o…

nguinaria Canadensis), with a red root and red sap, and bearing a pretty, white flower in early spring; -- called also puccoon, redroot, bloodwort, tetterwort, turmeric, and Indian paint. It has acrid emetic properties, and the rootstock is used as a stimulant expectorant. See Sanguinaria.

ong bird (Sialia sialis), very common in the United States, and, in the north, one of the earliest to arrive in spring. The male is blue, with the breast reddish. It is related to the European robin. Pairy bluebird (Zoöl.), a brilliant Indian or East Indian bird of the genus Irena, of several species.…

Built with the stem nearly straight up and down.

Built with the stem nearly straight up and down.

heavy ordnance formerly used for throwing stones and other ponderous missiles. It was the earliest kind of cannon. They planted in divers places twelve great bombards, wherewith they threw huge stones into the air, which, falling down into the city, might break down the houses. Knolles.

es, according to the shape of the instrument and the manner of throwing it, often moving nearly horizontally a long distance, then curving upward to a considerable height, and finally taking a retrograde direction, so as to fall near the place from which it was thrown, or even far in the rear of it.…

ne line from left to right, and the next from right to left (as fields are plowed), as in early Greek and Hittite.

Having branches in pairs, decussated, all nearly horizontal, and each pair at right angles with the next, as in the maple and lilac.