bettermost 
bettermost (bot'i-r-most), . and K. [< better 1 
+ -most.] I. . Best; highest in any respect, 
as in social rank or mental qualities. 
It first became operative in the diffusion of knowledge 
among the people, at least among the bettermost classes. 
Brougham. 
II. n. That which is best ; especially, one's 
best clothes. [Local in England and United 
States.] 
So Ilepzihah anil her brother made themselves ready 
... in their faded bettermost, to go to church. 
.. Hawthorne, Seven Gables, xi. 
betterness (bet'&r-nes), n. [< ME. betternes ; < 
better + -ness.'] 1. The quality of being better; 
superiority. Sir I'. Sidney. 2. In minting, the 
amount by which a precious metal exceeds the 
standard of fineness. 
bettet (bet'et), . [Native name.] A name 
of an Indian parrot, Palceornis pondicerianus. 
bettong (bet'ong), n. [Native name.] A spe- 
cies of the genus Bettongia, a group of small 
brush-tailed kangaroos. 
bettor (bet'or), . Another form of better^. 
betty (bet'i)',' n. ; pi. betties (-iz). [From the fern, 
name Betty, dim. of Bet (cf. equiv. OF. Beti, 
Betie. also Betiaine, Betion, Betionette), abbr. of 
JSlizabet, Elizabeth.] 1. A man who interferes 
with the domestic duties of women, or engages 
in female occupations. Also called cot-betty. 
[Used in contempt.] 2f. A short bar used 
by thieves to wrench doors open. Also called 
a bess, a jenny, and now a jimmy or jemmy. 
[Thieves' slang.] 
The powerful betty or the artful picklock. 
Arbuthnot, Hist. John Bull. 
3. A pear-shaped bottle, covered with maize- 
leaves or the like, in which olive-oil is exported 
from Italy ; a Florence flask. 
Betula (bet'u-la), n. [L., the birch, also spelled 
betulla (> It. betula, betulla, also bedello, = Pg. 
betulla = Sp. abedul = 
F. dim. bouleau) ; cf. 
Corn, betho, 6eo=Bret. 
bezo = W. bedw = Gael. 
beth = Ir. beth, beit, 
the birch.] A genus of 
hardy trees or shrubs, 
natives of the north 
temperate and arctic 
regions; the birches. 
It is the type of the order 
Betulacece, and is distin- 
guished from the accom- 
panying genus Alntts by a 
difference of habit and by its 
winged nutlet. There are 
about 30 species of Betula, 
of which 10 are North Amer- 
ican. 
Betulaceas (bet-u-la'- 
se-e), n. pi. [NL., < 
Betula + -aeew.] A nat- 
ural order of apetalous 
dicotyledonous trees 
and shrubs, of which 
Betula is the typical 
genus, and containing 
besides this only the genus Almis, with 60 spe- 
cies belonging to the two genera. See cut un- 
der alder. 
betulin, betuline (bet'u-lin), n. [< Betula, 
birch, + -in"*, -ine 2 .] An alkaloid (C 36 H 60 O3) 
obtained from the bark of the white birch. It 
crystallizes in the form of long needles, which 
are fusible and volatile. 
betumble (be-tum'bl), v. t. [< 6e-i + tumble.'] 
To tumble ; disarrange the parts of. 
From her be-tumbled couch she starteth. 
Shot., Lucrece, 1. 1037. 
betutor (be-tu'tor), v. t. [< 6e-i + tutor.] To 
instruct; tutor." Coleridge. 
between (be-tweu'), prep, and adv. [< (1) ME. 
betwene, bitwenen, etc., < AS. betweonum, be- 
twynum, betwinun, betweonan, beticinan, bittceon- 
urn, etc. (orig. separate, as in be saim tweonum, 
between the seas, lit. 'by seas twain'), < be, 
prep., by, + twetinum, dat. pi. of *tweon; (2) 
ME. betwen, betwene, bitwene, etc. (mixed with 
preceding), < AS. (ONorth.) betweon, betwen, 
bitwen, etc., < be, prep., by, + 'tweon, ace. of 
"tweon, pi. *twene (= OS. OFries. twene = 
OHG. MHG. zwene, G. zweeri), two, twain, orig. 
distrib. (=Goth. tweihnai=lj. bini, OL. *dwmi), 
two each, < two, (twi-), two : see two, and cf. 
twin, twain. The forms of between have always 
interchanged with those of betwixt (which see).] 
I. prep. 1. In the space which separates (two 
points, places, objects, or lines) ; at any point 
of the distance from one to the other of : as, be- 
Betula. 
a, branch of B. pumila, with 
male and female anieuts; b, a 
single scale of fertile ament, 
with fruit, f From Le Maout and 
538 
tween the eyes ; between Washington and Phila- 
delphia; the prisoner was placed between two 
policemen. 
The sea 
Swallows him with his host, but them lets pass 
As on dry land, between two crystal walls. 
Milton, P. L., xii. 197. 
2. In intermediate relation to, as regards time, 
quantity, or degree : as, it occurred between his 
incoming and outgoing; a baronet is between 
a knight and a baron ; they cost between |5 and 
$6 each ; between 12 and 1 o'clock. 
Bolus arrived, and gave a doubtful tap, 
Betiveen a single and a double rap. 
Caiman, Broad Grins. 
Her lips to mine how often hath she joined, 
Between each kiss her oaths of true love swearing ! 
Shak., Pass. Pilgrim, vii. 
3. In the mutual relations of: as, discord ex- 
ists between the two families. 
Friendship requires that it be between two at least. 
South. 
An intestine struggle, open or secret, 'between authority 
and liberty. Hume, Essays, v. 
The war between Castile and Portugal had come to a 
close; the factious of the Spanish nobles were for the 
most part quelled. Irving, Granada, p. 26. 
Differences of relative position can be known only 
through differences bet-ween the states of consciousness 
accompanying the disclosure of the positions. 
//. Spencer, Prin. of Psychol., 93. 
4. From one to another of, as in the exchange 
of actions or intercourse. 
If things should go so between them. 
Bacon, Hist, of Hen. VII. 
Thus graceless holds he disputation 
'Tween frozen conscience and hot-burning will. 
Shak., Lucrece, 1. 247. 
France has been the interpreter between England and 
mankind. Macaulay, Horace Walpole. 
5. In the joint interest or possession of: as, 
they own the property between them. 
There is between us one common name and appellation. 
Sir T. Browne, Beligio Medici, i. 3. 
Castor and Pollux with only one soul between them. 
Locke. 
6. By the action, power, or effort of one or 
both of. 
Unless you send some present help, 
Between them they will kill the conjurer. 
Shak., C. of E., v. 1. 
7. In regard to the respective natures or qual- 
ities of: as, to distinguish between right and 
wrong. 
There is an essential difference between a land of which 
we can trace the gradual formation from the sixth century 
onwards and a land whose name is not heard of till the 
eleventh century. E. A. Freeman, Eng. Towns, p. 120. 
8. In regard to one or the other of: as, to 
choose between two things. 
Between two dogs, which hath the deeper mouth? 
Shak., 1 Hen. VI., ii. 4. 
[Between is literally applicable only to two objects ; but it 
may be and commonly is used of more than two where 
they are spoken of distributively, or so that they can be 
thought of as divided into two parts or categories, or with 
reference to the action or being of each individually as 
compared with that of any other or all the others. When 
more than two objects are spoken of collectively or in- 
divisibly, among is the proper word.] Between our- 
selves, not to be communicated to others ; in confidence. 
Between the beetle and the block. See beetle^. 
To go between. See go. =Syn. Amidst, In the midst of, 
etc. See among. 
II. adv. In the intermediate space ; in inter- 
mediate relation as regards time, etc.: with an 
object understood. 
Your lady seeks my life ; come you between, 
And save poor me. Shak., Pericles, iv. 1. 
between (be-twen'), m. [< between, prep.] One 
of a grade of needles between sharps and blunts. 
between-decks (be-twen'deks), adv. and n. I. 
adv. In the space between two decks of a ship ; 
on any deck but the upper one. 
II. n. The space between two decks of a ship, 
or the whole space between the upper and the 
lowest deck. 
betweenity (be-twen 'i-ti), n. [< between + -ity, 
as in extremity'.] The state or quality of being 
between ; intermediate condition ; anything in- 
termediate. [Colloq.] 
To rejoin heads, tails, and betweenities. 
Southey, Letters, III. 448. 
The house is not Gothic, but of that betweenity that in- 
tervened when Gothic declined and Palladian was creep- 
ing in. H. Walpole, Letters (ed. 1820), II. 174. 
betweenwhiles (be-twen'hwilz), adv., prop. 
prep. phr. At intervals, 
betwit (be-twif ),v.t. [< 6e-l + twit^.] To twit. 
Strange how these men, who at other times are all wise 
men, do now, in their drink, betwitt and reproach one an- 
other with their former conditions. Pepyi, Diary, 1. 164. 
betwixt, prep, and adv. See betwixt. 
bevel 
betwixet, betwixent, prep. [Now only dial, 
or archaic; < ME. bctirixc, betwixen, betwexen, 
bitiruxen, etc., biticixe, bitieixen, etc., < AS. *be- 
tweoxan (occurs once spelled betweoxn), prob. 
for earlier "betweoxum (= OFries. hitwiskmn, bi- 
twischa), < be, prep., by, + "tweoxnm for *twili- 
sum, "ti/isciim, dat. pi. of *twisc = OS. twisk = 
OHG. zwisk, zwiski, MHG. ztcisc, twofold, < 
tied (twi-), two, + -sc, -isc, E. -ish 1 . Forms 
with other prepositions appear in OS. unilnr 
twisk, OFries. entwiska, ontwiska, ittieiska, abbr. 
twiska, twisk, twischa, NFries. twissclte, D. tus- 
schen, OHG. in zwisken, unter zwisken, MHG. in 
swischen, unter zwischen, G. abbr. zwischen, be- 
tween. This form was early mixed with betwix, 
betwixt.] Betwixt; between. 
betwixt (be-twikst'),jp'ep. and adv. [Also by 
apheresis twixt, 'twixt, Sc. betwiskt, betwecsht, < 
late ME. betwixt, bytwyxte, earlier betwix, betuxt, 
betuixte, betwex, betuix, bitwix, etc., < AS. be- 
twyxt, betwuxt (with excrescent -t), betwyx, be- 
tweox, bettceohs, betwux, betux, appar. shortened 
from the dat. form (or perhaps repr. an orig. 
ace. form) "betweoxum, > ME. betwixen, betwixe, 
a. v. In ME. the words were mixed.] I. prep. 
Between ; in the space that separates ; in inter- 
mediate relation to as regards time, quantity, 
or degree ; passing between ; from one to an- 
other, etc., in most of the uses of between 
(which see). 
Betwixt two aged oaks. Milton, L' Allegro, 1. 82. 
The morning light, however, soon stole into the aper- 
ture at the foot of the bed, betwixt those faded curtains. 
Hawthorne, Seven Gables, v. 
There was some speech of marriage 
Betwixt myself and her. Shak., M. for M., v. 1. 
= Syn. See comparison under among. 
II. adv. Between, in either space or time. 
Betwixt and between, in an intermediate position; 
neither the one nor the other : a colloquial intensive of 
beticixt or of between. 
betylus. n. See bcetylus. 
beudantite (bu'dan-tit), n. [After the French 
mineralogist Beudant (1787-1850).] A hydrous 
phosphate and arseniate of iron, occurring in 
small, closely aggregated crystals in Nassau, 
Prussia, and also near Cork, Ireland. 
betlk (buk), n. A Scotch form of book. 
My grannie she bought me a beuk, 
And I held awa' to the school. 
Burns, The Jolly Beggars. 
bevel (bev'el), n. and a. [Formerly also bevell, 
as a term of heraldry bevil, bevile, < OF. "bevel 
or *buvel (not recorded), mod. F. bireait, also 
spelled beveav, buveau, beuveau, beauveau, etc. 
(cf. Sp. baivel), bevel; origin unknown.] I. n. 
1. The obliquity or inclination of a particular 
surface of a solid body to another surface of 
the same body; the angle contained by two 
adjacent sides of anything, as of a timber used 
in ship-building. When this angle is acute it 
is called an under bevel (or beveling), and when 
obtuse a standing 
Mechanics' Bevels. 
strument used by 
mechanics for 
drawing angles and 
for adjusting the 
abutting surfaces 
of work to the 
same inclination. 
It consists of two limbs 
jointed together, one 
called the stock or 
handle and the other 
the blade ; the latter is 
movable on a pivot at 
the joint, and can be 
adjusted so as to include 
any angle between it 
and the stock. The blade is often curved on the edge to 
suit the sweep of an arch or vault. See bevel-nqvare. 
3. A piece of type-metal nearly type-high, with 
a beveled edge, used by stereo- 
typers to form the flange on the 
sides of the plates. Worcester. 
4. Same as bevel-angle. 5. 
In her., an angular break in any 
right line. 
II. a. Having the form of a 
bevel; aslant; sloping; out of 
the perpendicular; not upright: 
used figuratively by Shakspere. 
I may be straight though they themselves be bevel. 
Shak., Sonnets, cxxi. 
Their houses are very ill built, the walls bevel, without 
one right angle in any apartment. 
Swift, Gulliver's Travels, iii. 2. 
bevel (bev'el), v. ; pret. and pp. beveled or bev- 
elled, ppr. beveling or bevelling. [< bevel, n.] I. 
Heraldic Bevel. 
(See bevflfd, 3.) 
