–adjective, superl. of good with better as compar.

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.

–adverb, superl. of well with better as compar.

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.

–noun

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.

–verb (used with object)

13.	to get the better of; defeat; beat: He easily bested his opponent in hand-to-hand combat. She bested me in the argument.

—Idioms

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, a. to gain the advantage over. b. to defeat; subdue: His arthritis gets the best of him from time to time.

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.

–adjective

1.	of or pertaining to ions.

2.	pertaining to or occurring in the form of ions.

–noun

1.	a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, and minute amounts of other gases that surrounds the earth and forms its atm c3f osphere.

2.	a stir in the atmosphere; a light breeze.

3.	overhead space; sky: The planes filled the air.

4.	circulation; publication; publicity: to give air to one's theories.

5.	the general character or complexion of anything; appearance: His early work had an air of freshness and originality.

6.	the peculiar look, appearance, and bearing of a person: There is an air of mystery about him.

7.	airs, affected or unnatural manner; manifestation of pride or vanity; assumed haughtiness: He acquired airs that were insufferable to his friends.

8.	Music. a. a tune; melody. b. the soprano or treble part. c. an aria. d. Also, ayre. an Elizabethan art song.

9.	aircraft as a means of transportation: to arrive by air; to ship goods by air.

10.	Informal. air conditioning or an air-conditioning system: The price includes tires, radio, and air.

11.	Radio. the medium through which radio waves are transmitted.

12.	Archaic. breath.

–verb (used dc5 with object)

13.	to expose to the air; give access to the open air; ventilate (often fol. by out): We air the bedrooms every day.

14.	to expose ostentatiously; bring to public notice; display: to air one's opinions; to air one's theories.

15.	to broadcast or televise.

–verb (used without object)

16.	to be exposed to the open air (often fol. by out): Open the window and let the room air out.

17.	to be broadcast or televised.

–adjective

18.	operating by means of air pressure or by acting upon air: an air drill; an air pump.

19.	of or pertaining to aircraft or to aviation: air industry.

20.	taking place in the air; aerial: air war.

—Idioms

21.	clear the air, to eliminate dissension, ambiguity, or tension from a discussion, situation, etc.: The staff meeting was intended to help clear the air.

22.	get the air, Informal. a. to be rejected, as by a lover. b. to be dismissed, as by an employer: He had worked only a few days when he got the air.

23.	give (someone) the air, Informal. a. to reject, as a lover: He was bitter because she gave him the air. b. to dismiss, as an employee.

24.	in the air, in circulation; current: There's a rumor in the air that we're moving to a new location.

25.	into thin air, completely out of sight or reach: He vanished into thin air.

26.	off the air, a. not broadcasting: The station goes off the air at midnight. b. not broadcast; out of operation as a broadcast: The program went off the air years ago. c. (of a computer) not in operation.

27.	on the air, a. in the act of broadcasting; being broadcast: The program will be going on the air in a few seconds. b d14 . (of a computer) in operation.

28.	put on airs, to assume an affected or haughty manner: As their fortune increased, they began to put on airs.

29.	take the air, a. to go out-of-doors; take a short walk or ride. b. Slang. to leave, esp. hurriedly. c. to begin broadcasting.

30.	up in the air, a. Also, in the air. undecided or unsettled: The contract is still up in the air. b. Informal. angry; perturbed: There is no need to get up in the air over a simple mistake.

31.	walk or tread on air, to feel very happy; be elated.

–verb (used with object)

1.	to make pure; free from anything that debases, pollutes, adulterates, or contaminates: to purify metals.

2.	to free from foreign, extraneous, or objectionable elements: to purify a language.

3.	to free from guilt or evil.

4.	to clear or purge (usually fol. by of or from).

5.	to make clean for ceremonial or ritual use.

–verb (used without object)

6.	to become pure.