Hon"est , v. t. [L. honestare to clothe or
adorn with honor: cf. F. honester. See Honest, a.]
To adorn; to grace; to honor; to make becoming, appropriate, or honorable. [Obs.] Abp. Sandys.
Hon"est (?), a. [OE.
honest, onest, OF. honeste, oneste, F.
honnête, L. honestus, fr.
honos, honor, honor. See Honor.]
1. Decent; honorable; suitable; becoming.
Chaucer.
Belong what honest clothes you send forth to
bleaching!
Shak.
2. Characterized by integrity or fairness and straight&?;forwardness
in conduct, thought, speech, etc.; upright; just; equitable; trustworthy; truthful;
sincere; free from fraud, guile, or duplicity; not false; -- said of persons and acts, and of things to
which a moral quality is imputed; as, an
honest judge or merchant; an honest statement; an honest bargain; an honest business; an honest book; an honest confession.
An honest man's the noblest
work of God.
Pope.
An honest
physician leaves his patient when he can contribute no farther to his health.
Sir W. Temple. Look ye out among you seven men of
honest report.
Acts vi. 3.
Provide things honest in the sight of
all men.
Rom.
xii. 17. 3. Open; frank; as, an
honest countenance.
4.
Chaste; faithful; virtuous.
Wives may be
merry, and yet honest too.
Shak. Syn. -- Upright; ingenuous; honorable; trusty; faithful; equitable; fair; just; rightful; sincere; frank; candid; genuine.
Hear it pronounced