bister

English

Noun

bister (countable and uncountable, plural bisters)

1. Alternative spelling of bistre

Anagrams

• bestir, Breits, Tribes, tribes, rebits, Bertis, bistre, biters, bitser, Sibert

North Frisian

Etymology

Possibly cognate with West Frisian bjuster (“unusual, strange”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈb̥ɪstɐ]

Adjective

bister (comparative bisterer, superlative bisterst)

1. (Sylt) angry

   Synonyms: ārig, wreer

Slovene

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *bystrъ.

Adjective

bíster (comparative bístrejši, superlative nȁjbístrejši)

1. clear (transparent)
2. smart, bright, sharp

Further reading

• “bister”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU (in Slovene), 2014–2024

Swedish

Judge Dredd har en mycket bister min [Judge Dredd has a very stern facial expression]

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Low German bister. Attested since 1665.

Adjective

bister (comparative bistrare, superlative bistrast)

1. (of a person, expression, or the like) serious and hard; grim, stern, etc.

   Rektorn satt med en bister min i rektorsexpeditionen när jag kom in

   The principal was sitting with a stern look on his face in the principal's office when I entered

   "Vi är körda", sa han bistert

   "We're screwed," he said grimly

2. grim, bitter, harsh (often of weather conditions and the like)

   den bistra kylan

   the bitter cold

   den bistra vintern

   the cold, harsh winter

   den bistra verkligheten

   the grim reality

   den bistra sanningen

   the bitter truth

   bistra tider

   hard times

Declension

Inflection of bister
Indefinite	Positive	Comparative	Superlative2
Common singular	bister	bistrare	bistrast
Neuter singular	bistert	bistrare	bistrast
Plural	bistra	bistrare	bistrast
Masculine plural3	bistre	bistrare	bistrast
Definite	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Masculine singular1	bistre	bistrare	bistraste
All	bistra	bistrare	bistraste
1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine. 2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative. 3) Dated or archaic

Etymology 2

Borrowed from French bistre. Attested since 1784.

Noun

bister n

1. bistre (pigment)

Declension

Declension of bister

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	bister	bisters
	definite	bistret	bistrets
plural	indefinite	—	—
	definite	—	—

References

• bister in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• bister in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• bister in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)