Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - most

 adjective suffix  Etymology: Middle English, alteration of -mest (as in formest foremost) most innermost ; most toward headmost MOST  I. adjective  Etymology: Middle English, from Old English m?st; akin to Old High German meist ~, Old English mara more — more at more  Date: before 12th century  1. greatest in quantity, extent, or degree the ~ ability  2. the majority of ~ people  II. adverb  Date: before 12th century  1. to the greatest or highest degree — often used with an adjective or adverb to form the superlative the ~ challenging job he ever had  2. to a very great degree was ~ persuasive  III. noun  Date: 12th century the greatest amount it's the ~ I can do  IV. pronoun  Usage: singular or plural in construction  Date: 13th century the greatest number or part ~ become discouraged and quit  V. adverb  Etymology: by shortening  Date: circa 1584 al~ we'll be crossing the river ~ any time now — Hamilton Basso Usage:  Although considered by some to be unacceptable in all cases, ~ is often used to mean “al~” in both spoken and, to a lesser extent, written English to modify the adjectives all, every, and any; the pronouns all, everyone, everything, everybody, anyone, anything, and anybody; and the adverbs everywhere, anywhere, and always. Other uses of this sense of ~ are dialectal.