κρείσσων, ον,
genitive ονος, as always in
Epic dialect and old
Attic dialect; later
Attic dialect κρείττων;
Ionic dialect κρέσσων [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
κάρρων (which see); Cretan dialect
κάρτων [
Refs] — _comparative_ of κρατύς (see. κράτιστος),
stronger, mightier, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; especially in battle, [
Refs 6th c.BC+]: hence,
having the upper hand, superior, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]: as Law-term, of witnesses, [
Refs] [prev. cited]
2) frequently as
comparative of ἀγαθός,
better, κρέσσονες one's
betters, especially in point of rank, [
Refs 5th c.BC+], of the
greater gods, as opposed to to Oceanus, [
Refs 4th c.BC+] (
anapaest meter); οἱ κ. the
Higher Powers, [
Refs 5th c.BC+] the
Almighty, Providence, [
Refs 4th c.AD+] one's
advantages, [
Refs 5th c.BC+].
3) with
infinitive, οὔ τις ἐμεῖο κρείσσων. δόμεναι no one has
a better right to, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; κρεῖσσόν ἐστι with
infinitive, 'tis
better to, [
Refs 5th c.BC+] with
participle, κ. γὰρ ἦσθα μηκέτ᾽ ὢν ἢ ζῶν τυφλός thou wert
better not alive, than living blind, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
II) with
genitive or ἤ,
too great for, surpassing, beyond, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; of evil deeds, κρείσσον᾽ ἀγχόνης
too bad for hanging, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
too bad to look on, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; λέγετι σιγῆς κρεῖσσον [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; κ. ἢ λόγοισιν (i.e. εἰπεῖν) [
Refs]; πρᾶγμα ἐλπίδος κ. γεγενημένον
worse than one expected, [
Refs 6th c.BC+].
III)
having control over, master of, especially of desires and passions, [
Refs 6th c.BC+]; γαστρὸς καὶ κερδέων [
Refs]
over themselves, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
superior to the influence of money, [
Refs 6th c.BC+]; also,
putting oneself above, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; κρείσσους ὄντες. τῷ λογισμῷ ἐς τὸ ἀνέλπιστον τοῦ βεβαίου having reasoned themselves into an absolute belief of the hopelessness of certainty, [
Refs 4th c.BC+]
IV)
better, more excellent, [
Refs 1st c.AD+]; ὁ κρείττων λόγος (opposed to ὁ ἥσσων) [
Refs 5th c.BC+] in a
higher sense, opposed to κατὰ τὸ χεῖρον, [
Refs 5th c.AD+]
V)
adverb [
Refs 5th c.BC+] probably took ει from ὀλείζων.)