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ἄριστος [α^], η, ον, (with Art. Ep.
A.“ὤριστος” Il.11.288, Att. ἅριστος) best in its kind, and so in all sorts of relations, serving as Sup. of ἀγαθός:
I. of persons,
1. best in birth and rank, noblest: hence, like ἀριστεύς, a chief, “Ἀργείων οἱ ἄριστοι” Il.4.260, cf. 6.209; “ἄ. ἔην πολὺ δὲ πλείστους ἄγε λαούς” 2.580; “θεῶν ὕπατος καὶ ἄ.” 19.258; “πατρὸς πάντων ἀ. παῖδα” S.El.366; ἀνδρῶν τῶν ἀ. ὁμιλίη, opp. δῆμος, Hdt.3.81, cf. Cic.Att.9.4.2.
2. best in any way, bravest, “ἀνδρῶν αὖ μέγ᾽ ἄ. ἔην Τελαμώνιος Αἴας” Il.2.768, cf. 7.50, etc.; οἰωνοπόλων, σκυτοτόμων ὄχ᾽ ἄ., 6.76, 7.221.
b. c. dat. modi, “βουλῇ μετὰ πάντας . . ἔπλευ ἄ.” 9.54, al.; “ἔγχεσιν εἶναι ἀρίστους” Od.4.211.
c. c. acc. rei, “εἶδος ἄριστε” Il.3.39; “ψυχὴν ἄ.” Ar.Nu.1048.
d. c. inf., “ἄριστοι μάχεσθαι” X.Cyr.5.4.44; ἄ. διαβολὰς ἐνδέκεσθαι readiest to give ear to calumnies, Hdt.3.80; ἄ. ἀπατᾶσθαι best, i.e. easiest, to cheat, Th.3.38.
3. morally best, “εἴς τινα” E.Alc.83(lyr.); “οἱ ἄ. ἁπλῶς κατ᾽ ἀρετήν” Arist.Pol.1293b3.
4. best, most useful, “πόλει” E.Fr.194 codd. (leg. ἀρεστός）“ αὑτῷ” Id.Heracl.5.
II. of animals, things, etc., best, finest, “ἵπποι” Il.2.763; μήλων, ὑῶν, Od.9.432, 14.414; “τεύχε᾽ ἄριστα” Il.15.616; “χῶρος” Od.5.442; “ποταμῶν ἄ. τά τε ἄλλα καὶ ἀκέσασθαι” Hdt.4.90; ἄριστα φέρεσθαι win an excellent reward, S.El.1097 (lyr.).
III. neut. pl. as Adv., ἄριστα best, most excellently, “ὄχ᾽ ἄ.” Il.3.110, Od.13.365, cf. Hdt.1.193, al., etc.; ἄριστά γε, in answers, well said! Pl.Tht.163c: later also “ἀρίστως” Iamb.Myst.3.14.
Henry George Liddell. Robert Scott. A Greek-English Lexicon. revised and augmented throughout by. Sir Henry Stuart Jones. with the assistance of. Roderick McKenzie. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1940.

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