Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Better

Better ({not transcribed}) , adjective

[Old English betere, bettre, and as adv. bet, Anglo-Saxon betera, adj., and bet, adv.; akin to Icelandic betri, adj., betr, adv., Gothic batiza, adj., Old High German bezziro, adj., baz, adv., German besser, adj. and adv., bass, adv., English boot, and prob. to Sanskrit bhadra excellent. See Boot advantage, and compare Best, Batful.]

1.
Having good qualities in a greater degree than another; as, a better man; a better physician; a better house; a better air.
Could make the worse appear The better reason. — Milton
2.
Preferable in regard to rank, value, use, fitness, acceptableness, safety, or in any other respect.
To obey is better than sacrifice. — 1 Sam. xv. 22
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. — Bible (KJV) - Psalm cxviii. 9
3.
Greater in amount; larger; more.
4.
Improved in health; less affected with disease; as, the patient is better.
5.
More advanced; more perfect; as, upon better acquaintance; a better knowledge of the subject.
My dear, my better half (said he), I find I must now leave thee. — Sir P. Sidney
By all that's holy, he had better starve Than but once think this place becomes thee not. — Shakespeare

The phrase had better, followed by an infinitive without to, is idiomatic. The earliest form of construction was “were better” with a dative; as, “Him were better go beside.” (Gower.) i. e., It would be better for him, etc. At length the nominative (I, he, they, etc.) supplanted the dative and had took the place of were. Thus we have the construction now used.

Better , noun

1.
Advantage, superiority, or victory; -- usually with of; as, to get the better of an enemy.
2.
One who has a claim to precedence; a superior, as in merit, social standing, etc.; -- usually in the plural.
Their betters would hardly be found. — Hooker
Collocations (1)
For the better , in the way of improvement; so as to produce improvement. If I have altered him anywhere for the better. — Dryden

Better , adverb

1.
In a superior or more excellent manner; with more skill and wisdom, courage, virtue, advantage, or success; as, Henry writes better than John; veterans fight better than recruits.
I could have better spared a better man. — Shakespeare
2.
More correctly or thoroughly.
The better to understand the extent of our knowledge. — Locke
3.
In a higher or greater degree; more; as, to love one better than another.
Never was monarch better feared, and loved. — Shakespeare
4.
More, in reference to value, distance, time, etc.; as, ten miles and better. [Colloquial]
Collocations (2)
To think better of , to have a more favorable opinion of any one.
To think better of , to reconsider and alter one's decision.

Better ({not transcribed}) , transitive verb

[Anglo-Saxon beterian, betrian, from betera better. See Better, a.]

1.
To improve or ameliorate; to increase the good qualities of.
Love betters what is best. — Wordsworth
He thought to better his circumstances. — Thackeray
2.
To improve the condition of, morally, physically, financially, socially, or otherwise.
The constant effort of every man to better himself. — Macaulay
3.
To surpass in excellence; to exceed; to excel.
The works of nature do always aim at that which can not be bettered. — Hooker
4.
To give advantage to; to support; to advance the interest of. [Obsolete]
Weapons more violent, when next we meet, May serve to better us and worse our foes. — Milton

Better , intransitive verb

To become better; to improve. — Carlyle

Better , noun

One who bets or lays a wager.