adv., compar. to vel; and BEZT, elder form bazt, superl., better, best:

1. compar., er betr er, luckily, happily, Fms. ix. 409, Ld. 22; b. þætti mér, I would rather, Nj. 17; vánu betr, Lat. spe melius, Fms. ii. 101; b. úgört, better not to do, Ld. 59; hafa b., to get the better of it, Fb. i. 174: adding gen., þess b., er …, so much the better …, Sks. 426: denoting quantity, more, leggit fram b. hit mikla skipit, advance it farther, better on, Fms. ii. 307; engi maðr tók b. en í öxl honum, v. 67; b. en tuttugu menn, ix. 339; þrjú hundruð ok þrír tigir ok sex b., to boot, Rb. 88; ekki máttu sumir menn b. en fá staðist, i. e. they could do no more, were just able to keep up against him, Fms. xi. 136; ef hann orkar b., if he can do more, Grág. (Kb.) ch. 128; nú má hann b., but if he is able to do more…, id. 2. superl., bazt búið, best equipped, Fas. ii. 523; with a gen., bezt allra manna, Eg. 34; manna bezt, Nj. 147; kvenna bezt hærð, Landn. 151; bazt at báðir væri, cp. Germ. am besten, am liebsten, soonest, Eg. 256.