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Worsted vs Bested - What's the difference?

worsted | bested |

As verbs the difference between worsted and bested

is that worsted is past tense of worst while bested is past tense of best.

As a noun worsted

is yarn made from long strands of wool.

As an adjective worsted

is defeated, overcome.

worsted

English

(wikipedia worsted)

Etymology 1

Named after Worsted (now (Worstead)), a town in Norfolk, England.

Noun

  • Yarn made from long strands of wool.
  • *
    • "Yes, young people are usually blind to everything but their own wishes, and seldom imagine how much those wishes cost others," said Mrs. Garth She did not mean to go beyond this salutary general doctrine, and threw her indignation into a needless unwinding of her worsted , knitting her brow at it with a grand air.
  • The fine, smooth fabric made from such wool yarn.
  • * 1902 , (Joseph Conrad), The Heart of Darkness.
    • He had tied a bit of white worsted round his neck -- Why? Where did he get it? Was it a badge -- an ornament -- a charm -- a propitiatory act? Was there any idea at all connected with it?
    Hyponyms
    * (fine wool fabric) gabardine, serge, tamin, whipcord

    Etymology 2

    Participle adjective of the verb (worst).

    Verb

    (head)
  • (worst)

    • Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Defeated, overcome.
  • * 1869 , (Louisa May Alcott), Little Women.
    • Jo carried her love of liberty and hate of conventionalities to such an unlimited extent that she naturally found herself worsted in an argument.

    bested

    English

    Etymology 1

    (best) + (-ed)

    Verb

    (head)
  • (best)

    • Etymology 2

    Verb

    (head)
  • Variant of (bestead)
    • English heteronyms