Better vs bettor

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Grammarist

Better means more excellent than other items in a particular category, of a higher quality, more effective, more advantageous, to a greater degree. Better may also mean having improved health, recovered from an illness. Better may be used as an adjective, adverb, noun or verb, related words are betters, bettered, bettering. Better is a comparative of good, the superlative is best. Better comes from the Old English word betera.

A bettor is one who bets, especially as a habit. Bettor is an American word, it seems to be gaining ground internationally. Better is also an accepted term for one who bets, in British English.

Examples

“I have found that I just get better and better with more experience and more life.” (People Magazine)

More neoantigens means more potential targets for the immune system, which means a better chance of controlling a tumor. (The Atlantic)

With NYCFC opening its season Sunday in Chicago, the 36-year-old midfielder, who could be key to their campaign, insists 2016 will be better. (The New York Post)

Better to take a hard look before we leap into the world of fintech (The South China Morning Post)

Lukas Biewald, a co-founder and the CEO of CrowdFlower, a crowdsourcing company in San Francisco, sees Zuckerberg’s efforts at bettering himself as emblematic of the tech industry. (The Columbus Dispatch)

A lone bettor from Valenzuela City has bagged the P15 million jackpot prize in last Saturday’s Lotto 6/42 Draw of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) (The Manila Times)

Let’s assume our theoretical bettor was on the Caps starting with the first game of the season. (The Washington Post)

The bettor wagered $5 on a massive 15-leg parlay that included the NFL playoffs, college basketball and one NHL game. (The Tulsa World)