–adjective, superl. of good with better as compar.

1.	of the highest quality, excellence, or standing: the best work; the best students.

2.	most advantageous, suitable, or desirable: the best way.

3.	largest; most: the best part of a day.

–adverb, superl. of well with better as compar.

4.	most excellently or suitably; with most advantage or success: an opera role that best suits her voice.

5.	in or to the highest degree; most fully (usually used in combination): best-suited; best-known; best-loved.

–noun

6.	something or someone that is best: They always demand and get the best. The best of us can make mistakes.

7.	a person's finest clothing: It's important that you wear your best.

8.	a person's most agreeable or desirable emotional state (often prec. by at).

9.	a person's highest degree of competence, inspiration, etc. (often prec. by at).

10.	the highest quality to be found in a given activity or category of things (often prec. by at): cabinetmaking at its best.

11.	the best effort that a person, group, or thing can make: Their best fell far short of excellence.

12.	a person's best wishes or kindest regards: Please give my best to your father.

–verb (used with object)

13.	to get the better of; defeat; beat: He easily bested his opponent in hand-to-hand combat. She bested me in the argument.

—Idioms

14.	all for the best, for the good as the final result; to an ultimate advantage: At the time it was hard to realize how it coul d46 d be all for the best. Also, for the best.

15.	as best one can, in the best way possible under the circumstances: We tried to smooth over the disagreement as best we could.

16.	at best, under the most favorable circumstances: You may expect to be treated civilly, at best.

17.	get or have the best of, a. to gain the advantage over. b. to defeat; subdue: His arthritis gets the best of him from time to time.

18.	had best, would be wisest or most reasonable to; ought to: You had best phone your mother to tell her where you are going.

19.	make the best of, to cope with in the best way possible: to make the best of a bad situation.

20.	with the best, on a par with the most capable: He can play bridge with the best.

–noun

1.	a conveyance of an interest in property as security for the repayment of money borrowed.

2.	the deed by which such a transaction is effected.

3.	the rights conferred by it, or the state of the property conveyed.

–verb (used with object)

4.	Law. to convey or place (real property) under a mortgage.

5.	to place under advance obligation; pledge: to mortgage one's life to the defense of democracy.

–noun

1.	the amount of a charge or payment with reference to some basis of calculation: a high rate of interest on loans.

2.	a certain quantity or amount of one thing considered in relation to a unit of another thing and used as a standard or measure: at the rate of 60 miles an hour.

3.	a fixed charge per unit of quantity: a rate of 10 cents a pound.

4.	price; cost: to cut rates on all home furnishings.

5.	degree of speed, progress, etc.: to work at a rapid rate.

6.	degree or comparative extent of action or procedure: the rate of increase in work output.

7.	relative condition or quality; grade, class, or sort.

8.	assigned position in any of 8c8 a series of graded classes; rating.

9.	Insurance. the premium charge per unit of insurance.

10.	a charge by a common carrier for transportation, sometimes including certain services involved in rendering such transportation.

11.	a wage paid on a specified time basis: a salary figured on an hourly rate.

12.	a charge or price established in accordance with a scale or standard: hotel rates based on length of stay.

13.	Horology. the relative adherence of a timepiece to perfect timekeeping, measured in terms of the amount of time gained or lost within a certain period.

14.	Usually, rates. British. a. a tax on property for some local purpose. b. any tax assessed and paid to a local government, as any city tax or district tax.

–verb (used with object)

15.	to estimate the value or worth of; appraise: to rate a student's class performance.

16.	to esteem, consider, or account: He was rated one of the best writers around.

17.	to fix at a certain rate, as of charge o d46 r payment.

18.	to value for purposes of taxation or the like.

19.	to make subject to the payment of a certain rate or tax.

20.	to place in a certain rank, class, etc., as a ship or a sailor; give a specific rating to.

21.	to be considered or treated as worthy of; merit: an event that doesn't even rate a mention in most histories of the period.

22.	to arrange for the conveyance of (goods) at a certain rate.

–verb (used without object)

23.	to have value, standing, etc.: a performance that didn't rate very high in the competition.

24.	to have position in a certain class.

25.	to rank very high in estimation: The new teacher really rates with our class.

—Idiom

26.	at any rate, a. in any event; in any case. b. at least: It was a mediocre film, but at any rate there was one outstanding individual performance.