Show Search Results Show Browse

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1934 (SND Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

BEST, v. To get the better of, to beat. [bɛst]Abd.(D) 1929 J. Alexander Mains and Hilly 23:
Bit ye canna best his in the maitter o' gedderin' siller.
Ags. 1915 V. Jacob Songs of Angus 3:
There was nae twa lads frae the Grampians doon to the Tay That could best us twa.
Gall.(D) 1901 Trotter Gall. Gossip 430:
They wur that wil' at him for ey bestin them, yt they didna ken whut tae say o' him.

[Given in N.E.D. as colloq. and borrowed from dial. with the same meaning as worst, v. Phs. there is contact with Beast, v., q.v., to vanquish. In Eng. dial. best, v., is gen. used instead of Sc. Beast, v. The earliest quot. for best in N.E.D. is 1863.]

You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.

"Best v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 29 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/best_v>

2724

snd

Hide Advanced Search

Browse SND:

    Loading...

Share: