Most word meaning and definition

[adv] (of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; `near' is sometimes used informally for `nearly' and `most' is sometimes used informally for `almost'; "the job is (just) about done"; "the baby was almost asleep when the alarm sounded"; "we're almost finished"; "the car all but ran her down"; "he nearly fainted"; "talked for nigh onto 2 hours"; "the recording is well-nigh perfect"; "virtually all the parties signed the contract"; "I was near exhausted by the run"; "most everyone agrees"
[adv] used to form the superlative; "the king cobra is the most dangerous snake"
[adv] (intensifier) very; "a most welcome relief"

\Most\, a., superl. of {More}. [OE. most, mast, mest, AS. m?st; akin to D. meest, OS. m[=e]st, G. meist, Icel. mestr, Goth. maists; a superl. corresponding to E. more. [root]103. See {More}, a.] 1. Consisting of the greatest number or quantity; greater in number or quantity than all the rest; nearly all. ``Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness.'' --Prov. xx. 6. The cities wherein most of his mighty works were done. --Matt. xi. 20. 2. Greatest in degree; as, he has the most need of it. ``In the moste pride.'' --Chaucer. 3. Highest in rank; greatest. [Obs.] --Chaucer. Note: Most is used as a noun, the words part, portion, quantity, etc., being omitted, and has the following meanings: 1. The greatest value, number, or part; preponderating portion; highest or chief part. 2. The utmost; greatest possible amount, degree, or result; especially in the phrases to make the most of, at the most, at most. A quarter of a year or some months at the most. --Bacon. A covetous man makes the most of what he has. --L'Estrange. {For the most part}, in reference to the larger part of a thing, or to the majority of the persons, instances, or things referred to; as, human beings, for the most part, are superstitious; the view, for the most part, was pleasing. {Most an end}, generally. See {An end}, under {End}, n. [Obs.] ``She sleeps most an end.'' --Massinger.
\Most\, adv. [AS. m[=ae]st. See {Most}, a.] In the greatest or highest degree. Those nearest to this king, and most his favorites, were courtiers and prelates. --Milton. Note: Placed before an adjective or adverb, most is used to form the superlative degree, being equivalent to the termination -est; as, most vile, most wicked; most illustrious; most rapidly. Formerly, and until after the Elizabethan period of our literature, the use of the double superlative was common. See {More}, adv. The most unkindest cut of all. --Shak. The most straitest sect of our religion. --Acts xxvi. 5.
\Most\, adv. {Most-favored-nation clause} (Diplomacy), a clause, often inserted in treaties, by which each of the contracting nations binds itself to grant to the other in certain stipulated matters the same terms as are then, or may be thereafter, granted to the nation which receives from it the most favorable terms in respect of those matters. There was a ``most-favored-nation'' clause with provisions for the good treatment of strangers entering the Republic. --James Bryce. Steam navigation was secured by the Japanese as far as Chungking, and under the most-favored-nation clause the right accrued to us. --A. R. Colquhoun.

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