Oxford Business English Dictionary for Learners of English

(Law, only used in written English) (also .best en'deavours) (often used in contracts) all the possible actions that you can take in order to achieve sth: We will use our best efforts to deliver the goods on time, о The software is supported on a best- efforts basis.

(Finance) in the US, if a financial institution (such as an investment bank) uses a best-efforts method to sell the shares in a new company, they agree to sell as many shares as they can, but do not promise they will sell them all. Any they do not sell will be returned to the company.

.best en'deavours (AmEspelling - endeavors)

= best efforts (1)

best-if-'used-by date = best-before date

best in class 4б|

WHICH WORD?

Dates on products

Many goods, especially foods, have a date on them giving information about their shelf life {- how long you can keep them).

Dates that give information about quality

Foods that have been frozen, dried, packed in cans, etc. often have a best-before date (BrE) or best-if-used-by date (AmE). This tells the consumer how long the product is expected to remain fresh: Best before end FEB 2006.

Fresh foods often have a sell-by date (BrE and AmE) or pull date (AmE). This tells the staff of the shop/store how long they should display the product: Sell by 14 Nov. 06. Usually food can be eaten for a period of time after this date, although it may not taste as good.

Often shops/stores sell products that are near their sell-by-date, best-before date, etc. more cheaply.

Dates that give information about safety

Some products, for example milk, meat or medicines, must have a use-by date or an expiry date (6rЈ)/expiration date (AmE). This is the date up to which you can safely eat or use the product. It is often illegal for shops/stores to sell products that have passed this date: Display until 20 Oct. 06. Use by 27 Oct. 06.

,best in 'class adjective [usually before noun] (often used about a company, product or service) the best or most successful of its kind: Our digital camera has been named best in class by 'PC Magazine', о best-in-class software/technology

,best 'practice noun [u,c] the best way of doing a particular task or activity, often recorded by companies or organizations in formal documents: strategies to achieve best practice in health and safety о We need to identify the current best practices in IT management, о a code of best practice for training providers benchmark noun

.best 'price noun [c] the lowest price that a buyer can buy sth for; the highest price that a seller can sell sth for: How do you get the best insurance policy at the best price? о These are the best-price flights for those dates.

.best-'seller (AmEspelling best seller) noun [c] a product, especially a book, that is bought by large numbers of people: The book became an instant best-seller with more than 5 million copies in print. ► ,best-'selling adjective [only before noun]: a best- selling book/medicine/car

bet /bet/' noun, verb

noun [C]

see also: spread bet

an act of risking money on an investment: The company is making a big bet on e-commerce. о Investors have placed their bets on (= invested all their money in) the companies they think will recover quickest, о Their bet has paid off(= been successful).

a good/safe/sure/fair bet an investment that is likely to be successful; sth that is likely to happen or be suitable: Property is always a safe bet. о It's a sure bet that a piece of equipment will break down when you need it most.

idioms at hedge verb

verb [+ obj or no obj] (betting, bet, bet)

to risk money on an investment, especially because