22 the best part → see part ➊
23 at the best of times → see time
24 the best of both worlds → see world
bes|tial /be stiəl, [AM ] -stʃəl/ ADJ If you describe behaviour or a situation as bestial , you mean that it is very unpleasant or disgusting. □ …the bestial conditions into which the city has sunk.
bes|ti|al|ity /be stiæ l I ti, [AM ] -tʃæ l-/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Bestiality is disgusting behaviour. [FORMAL ] □ It is shocking that humans can behave with such bestiality towards others.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Bestiality is sexual activity in which a person has sex with an animal.
best|ie /be stiː/ (besties ) N‑COUNT Your bestie is your best friend. [INFORMAL ] □ She spent the day hanging out with her bestie.
be st ma n N‑SING The best man at a wedding is the man who assists the bridegroom.
be st of bree d (best of breeds ) also best-of-breed
1 N‑COUNT The best of breed is the animal that wins first prize in its section at a dog show. □ The Queen's Trophy is presented to the best of breed Welsh corgi each February.
2 ADJ Best of breed products or services are the most successful products or services in a particular area. □ Gerstner transformed most of the company into a best of breed systems integration provider.
be|stow /b I stoʊ / (bestows , bestowing , bestowed ) VERB To bestow something on someone means to give or present it to them. [FORMAL ] □ [V n + on/upon ] The Queen has bestowed a knighthood on him. [Also V on/upon n n]
be st pra c|tice N‑UNCOUNT Best practice is the way of running a business or providing a service that is recognized as correct or most effective. □ Schools will work together to share best practice.
be|stride /b I stra I d/ (bestrides , bestriding , bestrode , bestridden ) VERB To bestride something means to be the most powerful and important person or thing in it. [LITERARY ] □ [V n] America's media companies bestride the globe.
be st se ll|er (best sellers ) also bestseller N‑COUNT A best seller is a book of which a lot of copies have been sold.
be st-se lling also bestselling
1 ADJ [ADJ n] A best-selling product such as a book is very popular and a large quantity of it has been sold.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] A best-selling author is an author who has sold a very large number of copies of his or her book.
bet ◆◇◇ /be t/ (bets , betting ) The form bet is used in the present tense and is the past tense and past participle. 1 VERB If you bet on the result of a horse race, football game, or other event, you give someone a sum of money which they give you back with extra money if the result is what you predicted, or which they keep if it is not. □ [V + on ] Jockeys are forbidden to bet on the outcome of races. □ [V amount + on ] I bet £10 on a horse called Premonition. □ [V n amount] He bet them £500 they would lose. ● N‑COUNT Bet is also a noun. □ [+ on ] Do you always have a bet on the Grand National? ● bet|ting N‑UNCOUNT □ …his thousand-pound fine for illegal betting. □ …betting shops.
2 N‑COUNT A bet is a sum of money which you give to someone when you bet. □ You can put a bet on almost anything these days.
3 VERB [only cont] If someone is betting that something will happen, they are hoping or expecting that it will happen. [JOURNALISM ] □ [V that] The party is betting that the presidential race will turn into a battle for younger voters. □ [V + on ] People were betting on a further easing of credit conditions.
4 → see also betting
5 PHRASE You use expressions such as ' I bet ', ' I'll bet ', and ' you can bet ' to indicate that you are sure something is true. [INFORMAL ] □ I bet you were good at games when you were at school. □ I'll bet they'll taste out of this world.
6 PHRASE If you tell someone that something is a good bet , you are suggesting that it is the thing or course of action that they should choose. [INFORMAL ] □ Your best bet is to choose a guest house.
7 PHRASE If you say that it is a good bet or a safe bet that something is true or will happen, you are saying that it is extremely likely to be true or to happen. [INFORMAL ] □ It is a safe bet that the current owners will not sell.
8 PHRASE If you hedge your bets , you follow two courses of action to avoid making a decision between two things because you cannot decide which one is right. □ NASA is hedging its bets and adopting both strategies.
9 PHRASE You use I bet or I'll bet in reply to a statement to show that you agree with it or that you expected it to be true, usually when you are annoyed or amused by it. [INFORMAL , SPOKEN , FEELINGS ] □ [PHR that] 'I'd like to ask you something,' I said. 'I bet you would,' she grinned.
10 PHRASE You can use my bet is or it's my bet to give your personal opinion about something, when you are fairly sure that you are right. [INFORMAL ] □ My bet is that next year will be different. □ It's my bet that he's the guy behind this killing.
11 PHRASE If you say don't bet on something or I wouldn't bet on something, you mean that you do not think that something is true or will happen. [INFORMAL , SPOKEN ] □ 'We'll never get a table in there'—'Don't bet on it.'
12 CONVENTION If you reply ' Do you want to bet? ' or ' Want a bet? ' to someone, you mean you are certain that what they have said is wrong. [INFORMAL , SPOKEN ] □ 'Money can't buy happiness'—'Want to bet?'