[best] 
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 13. | to get the better of; defeat; beat: He easily bested his opponent in hand-to-hand combat. She bested me in the argument. |
| 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 could 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,
|
| 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. |
Best (běst), Charles Herbert. 1899-1978.
American-born Canadian physiologist noted for the discovery and successful clinical application of insulin.
| Best (běst) Pronunciation Key
American-born Canadian physiologist who assisted Frederick Banting in the discovery of the hormone insulin. In acknowledgment of his work, Banting shared his portion of the 1923 Nobel Prize with Best. In addition to further refining the use of insulin, Best later discovered the vitamin choline and the enzyme histaminase, which breaks down histamine. |
all for the best
Also, for the best. Best in the long run, despite appearances to the contrary. It is often a response to an unhappy outcome, as in They had to sell their business, but since they weren't making money it's probably for the best, or The dress had been sold when she went back, but since it was a little too tight it's all for the best. [Late 1300s]
