GOOD, a.

1. Valid; legally firm; not weak or defective; having strength adequate to its support; as, a good title; a good deed; a good claim.
2. Valid; sound; not weak, false or fallacious; as, a good argument.
3. Complete or sufficiently perfect in its kind; having the physical qualities best adapted to its design and use; opposed to bad, imperfect, corrupted, impaired. We say, good timber, good cloth, a good soil, a good color. And God saw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was very good. Gen. i.
4. Having moral qualities best adapted to its design and use, or the qualities which God's law requires; virtuous; pious; religious; applied to persons, and opposed to bad, vicious, wicked, evil. Yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. Rom. v.
5. Conformable to the moral law; virtuous; applied to actions. In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works. Tit. ii.
6. Proper; fit; convenient; seasonable; well adapted to the end. It was a good time to commence operations. He arrived in good time.
7. Convenient; useful; expedient; conducive to happiness. It is not good that the man should be alone. Gen. ii.
8. Sound; perfect; uncorrupted; undamaged. This fruit will keep good the whole year.
9. Suitable to the taste or to health; wholesome; salubrious; palatable; not disagreeable or noxious; as, fruit good to eat; a tree good for food. Gen. ii.
10. Suited to produce a salutary effect; adapted to abate or cure; medicinal; salutary; beneficial; as, fresh vegetables are good for scorbutic diseases.
11. Suited to strengthen or assist the healthful functions; as, a little wine is good for a weak stomach.
12. Pleasant to the taste; as, a good apple. My son, eat thou honey, because it is good, and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste. Prov. xxiv.
13. Full; complete. The Protestant subjects of the abbey make up a good third of its people. Addison.
14. Useful; valuable; having qualities of a tendency to produce a good effect. All quality, that is good for any thing, is originally founded on merit. Collier.
15. Equal; adequate; competent. His security is good for the amount of the debt; applied to persons able to fulfill contracts. Antonio is a good man. Shak.
16. Favorable; convenient for any purpose; as, a good stand for business; a good station for a camp.
17. Convenient; suitable; safe; as a good harbor for ships.
18. Well qualified; able; skillful; or performing duties with skill and fidelity; as, a good prince; a good commander; a good officer; a good physician.
19. Ready; dextrous. Those are generally good at flattering who are good for nothing else. South.
20. Kind; benevolent; affectionate; as, a good father; good will.
21. Kind; affectionate; faithful; as, a good friend.
22. Promotive of happiness; pleasant; agreeable; cheering; gratifying. Behold, how good and how peasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. Ps. cxxxiii.
23. Pleasant or prosperous; as, good morrow, sir; good morning.
24. Honorable; fair; unblemished; unimpeached; as, a man of good fame or report. A good name is better than precious ointment. Eccles. vii.
25. Cheerful; favorable to happiness. Be of good comfort.
26. Great or considerable; not small nor very great; as, a good while ago; he is a good way off, or at a good distance; he has a good deal of leisure. I had a good share of the trouble. Here we see the primary sense of extending, advancing.
27. Elegant; polite; as, good breeding.
28. Real; serous; not feigned. Love not in good earnest. Shak.
29. Kind; favorable; benevolent; humane. The men were very good to us. 1. Sam. xxv.
30. Benevolent; merciful; gracious. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. Ps. lxxiii.
31. Seasonable; commendable; proper. Why trouble ye the woman, for she hath wrought a good work on me. Matth. xxvi.
32. Pleasant; cheerful; festive. We come in a good day. 1 Sam. xxv.
33. Companionable; social; merry. It is well known, that Sir Roger had been a good fellow in his youth. Arbuthnot.
34. Brave; in familiar language. You are a good fellow.
35. In the phrases, the good man, applied to the master of the house, and good woman, applied to the mistress, good sometimes expresses a moderate degree of respect, and sometimes slight contempt. Among the first settlers of New England, it was used as a title instead of Mr.; as, Goodman Jones; Goodman Wells.
36. The phrase good will is equivalent to benevolence; but it signifies also an earnest desire, a hearty wish, entire willingness or fervent zeal; as, we entered into the service with a good will; he laid on stripes with a good will.
37. Comely; handsome; well formed; as, a good person or shape.
38. Mild; pleasant; expressing benignity or other estimable qualities; as, a good countenance.
39. Mild; calm; not irritable or fractious; as, a good temper.
40. Kind; friendly; humane; as, a good heart or disposition. Good advice, wise and prudent counsel. Good heed, great care; due caution. In good sooth, in good truth; in reality. [Obs.] To make good, to perform; to fulfill; as, to make good one's word or promise; that is, to make it entire or unbroken. #2. To confirm or establish; to prove; to verify; as, to make good a charge or accusation. #3. To supply deficiency; to make up a defect or loss. I will make good what is wanting. #4. To indemnify; to give an equivalent for damages. If you suffer loss, I will make it good to you. #5. To maintain; to carry into effect; as, to make good a retreat. To stand good, to be firm or valid. His word or promise stands good To think good, to see good, is to be pleased or satisfied; to think to be expedient. If ye think good, give me my price. Zech. xi. As good as, equally; no better than; the same as. We say, one is as good as dead. Heb. xi. As good as his word, equaling in fulfillment what was promised; performing to the extent.

As good, as well; with equal advantage. Had you not as good go with me? In America we use goods, the Gothic word. Had you not as goods go? In replies, good signifies well; right; it is satisfactory. I am satisfied. I will be with you to-morrow; answer, good, very good. So we use well, from the root of L. valeo, to be strong.

1. That which contributes to diminish or remove pain, or to increase happiness or prosperity; benefit; advantage; opposed to evil or misery. The medicine will do neither good nor harm. It does my heart good to see you so happy. There are many that say, who will show us any good? – Ps. iv.
2. Welfare; prosperity; advancement of interest or happiness. He labored for the good of the state. The good of the whole community can he promoted only by advancing the good of each of the members composing it. – Federalist, Jay.
3. Spiritual advantage or improvement; as, the good of souls.
4. Earnest; not jest. The good woman never died after this, till she came to die for good and all. – L'Estrange. The phrase, for good and all, signifies, finally; to close the whole business; for the last time.
5. Moral works; actions which are just and in conformity to the moral law or divine precepts. Depart from evil, and do good. – Ps. xxxiv.
6. Moral qualities; virtue; righteousness. I find no good in this man.
7. The best fruits; richness; abundance. I will give you the good of the land. – Gen. xiv.

To manure. [Not in use.] – Hall.

1. Possessing desirable qualities; adapted to answer the end designed; promoting success, welfare, or happiness; serviceable; useful; fit; excellent; admirable; commendable; not bad, corrupt, evil, noxious, offensive, or troublesome, etc.
   
   

   And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. Gen. i. 31.

   Good company, good wine, good welcome. Shak.

2. That which possesses desirable qualities, promotes success, welfare, or happiness, is serviceable, fit, excellent, kind, benevolent, etc.; -- opposed to evil.
   
   

   There be many that say, Who will show us any good ? Ps. iv. 6.

3. Well, -- especially in the phrase as good, with a following as expressed or implied; equally well with as much advantage or as little harm as possible.
   
   

   As good almost kill a man as kill a good book. Milton.

   As good as, in effect; virtually; the same as.

   They who counsel ye to such a suppressing, do as good as bid ye suppress yourselves. Milton.

4. To make good; to turn to good.
   
   
   [Obs.]
5. Possessing moral excellence or virtue; virtuous; pious; religious; -- said of persons or actions.
   
   

   In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works. Tit. ii. 7.

6. Advancement of interest or happiness; welfare; prosperity; advantage; benefit; -- opposed to harm, etc.
   
   

   The good of the whole community can be promoted only by advancing the good of each of the members composing it. Jay.

7. To manure; to improve.
   
   
   [Obs.] Bp. Hall.
8. Kind; benevolent; humane; merciful; gracious; polite; propitious; friendly; well-disposed; -- often followed by to or toward, also formerly by unto.
   
   

   The men were very good unto us. 1 Sam. xxv. 15.

9. Wares; commodities; chattels; - - formerly used in the singular in a collective sense. In law, a comprehensive name for almost all personal property as distinguished from land or real property.
   
   
   Wharton.

   He hath made us spend much good. Chaucer.

   Thy lands and goods
   Are, by the laws of Venice, confiscate
   Unto the state of Venice. Shak.

   Dress goods, Dry goods, etc. See in the Vocabulary. -- Goods engine, a freight locomotive. [Eng.] -- Goods train, a freight train. [Eng.] -- Goods wagon, a freight car [Eng.] See the Note under Car, n., 2.

10. Serviceable; suited; adapted; suitable; of use; to be relied upon; -- followed especially by for.
    
    

    All quality that is good for anything is founded originally in merit. Collier.

11. Clever; skillful; dexterous; ready; handy; -- followed especially by at.
    
    

    He . . . is a good workman; a very good tailor. Shak.

    Those are generally good at flattering who are good for nothing else. South.

12. Adequate; sufficient; competent; sound; not fallacious; valid; in a commercial sense, to be depended on for the discharge of obligations incurred; having pecuniary ability; of unimpaired credit.
    
    

    My reasons are both good and weighty. Shak.

    My meaning in saying he is a good man is . . . that he is sufficient . . . I think I may take his bond. Shak.

13. Real; actual; serious; as in the phrases in good earnest; in good sooth.
    
    

    Love no man in good earnest. Shak.

14. Not small, insignificant, or of no account; considerable; esp., in the phrases a good deal, a good way, a good degree, a good share or part, etc.
15. Not lacking or deficient; full; complete.
    
    

    Good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over. Luke vi. 38.

16. Not blemished or impeached; fair; honorable; unsullied; as in the phrases a good name, a good report, good repute, etc.
    
    

    A good name is better than precious ointment. Eccl. vii. 1.

    As good as. See under As. -- For good, or For good and all, completely and finally; fully; truly.

    The good woman never died after this, till she came to die for good and all. L'Estrange.

    -- Good breeding, polite or polished manners, formed by education; a polite education.

    Distinguished by good humor and good breeding. Macaulay.

    -- Good cheap, literally, good bargain; reasonably cheap.

    -- Good consideration (Law). (a) A consideration of blood or of natural love and affection. Blackstone. (b) A valuable consideration, or one which will sustain a contract. -- Good fellow, a person of companionable qualities. [Familiar] -- Good folk, or Good people, fairies; brownies; pixies, etc. [Colloq. Eng. *** Scot.] -- Good for nothing. (a) Of no value] useless; worthless. (b) Used substantively, an idle, worthless person.

    My father always said I was born to be a good for nothing. Ld. Lytton.

    -- Good Friday, the Friday of Holy Week, kept in some churches as a fast, in memoory of our Savior's passion or suffering; the anniversary of the crucifixion. -- Good humor, or Good-humor, a cheerful or pleasant temper or state of mind. -- Good nature, or Good-nature, habitual kindness or mildness of temper or disposition; amiability; state of being in good humor.

    The good nature and generosity which belonged to his character. Macaulay.

    The young count's good nature and easy persuadability were among his best characteristics. Hawthorne.

    -- Good people. See Good folk (above). -- Good speed, good luck; good success; godspeed; -- an old form of wishing success. See Speed. -- Good turn, an act of kidness; a favor. -- Good will. (a) Benevolence; well wishing; kindly feeling. (b) (Law) The custom of any trade or business; the tendency or inclination of persons, old customers and others, to resort to an established place of business; the advantage accruing from tendency or inclination.

    The good will of a trade is nothing more than the probability that the old customers will resort to the old place. Lord Eldon.

    -- In good time. (a) Promptly; punctually; opportunely; not too soon nor too late. (b) (Mus.) Correctly; in proper time. -- To hold good, to remain true or valid; to be operative; to remain in force or effect; as, his promise holds good; the condition still holds good. -- To make good, to fulfill; to establish; to maintain; to supply (a defect or deficiency); to indemmify; to prove or verify (an accusation); to prove to be blameless; to clear; to vindicate.

    Each word made good and true. Shak.

    Of no power to make his wishes good. Shak.

    I . . . would by combat make her good. Shak.

    Convenient numbers to make good the city. Shak.

    -- To think good, to approve; to be pleased or satisfied with; to consider expedient or proper.

    If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. Zech. xi. 12.

    * Good, in the sense of wishing well, is much used in greeting and leave-taking; as, good day, good night, good evening, good morning, etc.