different between better vs betta

English

Pronunciation

• (non-rhotic accents) IPA^(key): /?b?t?/
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): [?b?t??]
  • (General Australian, General New Zealand) IPA^(key): [?be??]
  • (UK dialects) IPA^(key): [?be??]
• (rhotic accents) IPA^(key): /?b?t??/
  • (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): [?b???]
  • (Ireland) IPA^(key): [?b?t??~?b????~?b?t??]
  • (Scotland) IPA^(key): [?b???~?b????]
• (US)
• Rhymes: -?t?(?)
• Hyphenation: bet?ter

Etymology 1

From Middle English better, bettre, betre, from Old English betera (“better”), from Proto-Germanic *batizô (“better”), from Proto-Indo-European *b?ed-rós, from *b?ed- (“good”). Cognate with Sanskrit ???? (bhadrá, “blessed, fortunate, happy, good”). For Germanic cognates: see Proto-Germanic *batizô. Related to best and battle (“getting better, improving, fruitful, fertile”). Compare also Icelandic batna (“to improve”), bót (“improvement”), German besser. More at batten, boot.

Adjective

better (positive good, adverb well, comparative (humorous) betterer, superlative (humorous) betterest, or (standard) best)

1. comparative form of good: more good
2. comparative form of well: more well
3. Greater in amount or quantity
   • 1972, Harvey Andrews, Hey Sandy

     “The air was still with the lonely thrill of 'now the hour is near'
     And the smell of sweat was better yet than the awful stench of fear.”

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

better

1. comparative form of well: more well

   The engine runs better now that I've given it some oil.

   • c. 1603, William Shakespeare, Othello, Act I scene iii^[1]:

     I could never better stead thee than now. […]

   • 1901, Louis Couperus, Alexander Teixeira de Mattos (translator), Small Souls,

     “I’ve had enough of cycling with you chaps. I can spend my Sundays better than in tormenting cats and quarrelling and fighting.”

2. Greater or lesser (whichever is seen as more advantageous), in reference to value, distance, time, etc.

   The top electric vehicles have a range of 300 kilometres or better. (better = greater)

   Only one swimmer finished the race with a time better than two minutes. (better = lesser)

3. (Can we clean up⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (colloquial shortening) Had better.

   You better do that if you know what's good for you.

Derived terms

• better the devil you know
• had better
• 'd better

Translations

Noun

better (plural betters)

1. An entity, usually animate, deemed superior to another; one who has a claim to precedence; a superior.

   He quickly found Ali his better in the ring.

   • 1594, Richard Hooker, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie

     Their betters would hardly be found.

Derived terms

• get the better of

Etymology 2

Shortening of had better ('d better)

Verb

better

1. (modal, auxiliary verb, colloquial) Had better.

   It's getting late. You better get on home.

Usage notes

• Better in this sense has often been considered an adverb. But it is virtually synonymous with should in We better be going. and with ought to in We better go. Should and ought are auxiliary verbs.

See also

• best

Etymology 3

From Middle English beteren, from Old English beterian, betrian, from Proto-Germanic *batiz?n?. Cognate with West Frisian betterje (“to better”), Dutch beteren (“to better”), German bessern (“to better”), Danish bedre (“to better”), Swedish bättra (“to better”).

Verb

better (third-person singular simple present betters, present participle bettering, simple past and past participle bettered)

1. (transitive) To improve.
   • 1815, William Wordsworth, From the same (To the Supreme Being)

     Love betters what is best.

   • He thought to better his circumstances.
2. (intransitive) To become better; to improve.

   This government will better this society

3. (transitive) To surpass in excellence; to exceed; to excel.
   • 1594, Richard Hooker, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie

     The works of nature do always aim at that which can not be bettered.

4. (transitive) To give advantage to; to support; to advance the interest of.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:improve

Derived terms

• betterer
• betterment

Translations

Etymology 4

Alternate pronunciation of bettor or modern formation from the verb to bet.

Noun

better (plural betters)

1. Alternative spelling of bettor

References

• better at OneLook Dictionary Search
• better in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Central Franconian

Alternative forms

• botter, bötter (Eifel)

Etymology

From Old High German bittar

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?bet?/

Adjective

better (masculine bettere, feminine better, comparative betterer, superlative et betterste)

1. (most dialects) bitter

   Proverb:

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English betere.

Adjective

better

1. Alternative form of bettre

Adverb

better

1. Alternative form of bettre

Noun

better

1. Alternative form of bettre

Etymology 2

From Old English beterian.

Verb

better

1. Alternative form of beteren

Scots

Etymology

From Middle English bettre, from Old English betera, from Proto-Germanic *batizô.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?b?t?r]

Adjective

better

1. comparative degree of guid

Derived terms

Adverb

better (comparative mair better, superlative maist better)

1. better
2. quite recovered from illness
3. more than

Noun

better (uncountable)

1. that which is better, something better or superior

Verb

better (third-person singular present betters, present participle betterin, past bettert, past participle bettert)

1. to better, improve

West Frisian

Adjective

better

1. inflection of goed:
   1. predicative comparative degree
   2. indefinite neuter singular comparative degree

English

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From the genus name.

Noun

betta (plural bettas)

1. Any fish of the genus Betta, especially Betta splendens (the Siamese fighting fish).

Synonyms

• (Betta splendens): Siamese fighting fish

Translations

See also

• betta on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• betta on Wikispecies.Wikispecies

Etymology 2

Adjective

betta

1. Pronunciation spelling of better (comparative of good).
   • 1894, Robert Louis Stevenson, The Ebb-Tide, 2001, page 69,

     'I think no savvy. This one mo' betta,' he added, pointing to the house where the drunken captain slumbered: 'Take-a-sun all-e-time.'

Adverb

betta

1. Pronunciation spelling of better (comparative of well).
   • 2003, William Jackson, And the Sea Shall Hide Them, 2005, page 202,

     “Now she be lookin' betta,” one of the women said. “Like she has a chance to make it.”
2. (slang) Pronunciation spelling of better (had better).

Anagrams

• Batte

Plautdietsch

Adjective

betta

1. bitter

Westrobothnian

Etymology

From Old Norse biti.

Noun

betta m

1. piece