Chapter 144

Be*el"ze*bub (?) , n. The title of a heathen deity to whom the Jews ascribed the sovereignty of the evil spirits; hence, the Devil or a devil. See Baal .

Beem <Xpage=131>

Beem (?) , n. [AS. b<?/me , b<?/me .] A trumpet. [Obs.]

Beemaster <Xpage=131>

Bee"mas`ter (?) , n. One who keeps bees.

Been <Xpage=131>

Been (?) . [OE. beon , ben , bin , p. p. of been , beon , to be. See Be .] The past participle of Be . In old authors it is also the pr. tense plural of Be . See 1st Bee .

Assembled been a senate grave and stout. Fairfax.

Beer <Xpage=131>

Beer (?) , n. [OE. beor , ber , AS. be\'a2r ; akin to Fries. biar , Icel. bj<?/rr , OHG. bior , D. & G. bier , and possibly E. brew . \'fb93, See Brew .] 1. A fermented liquor made from any malted grain, but commonly from barley malt, with hops or some other substance to impart a bitter flavor.

&hand; Beer has different names, as small beer , ale , porter , brown stout , lager beer , according to its strength, or other qualities. See Ale .

2. A fermented extract of the roots and other parts of various plants, as spruce, ginger, sassafras, etc.

Small beer , weak beer; ( fig .) insignificant matters. "To suckle fools, and chronicle small beer ."

Shak.

Beeregar <Xpage=131>

Beer"e*gar (?) , n. [ Beer + eager .] Sour beer. [Obs.]

Beerhouse <Xpage=131>

Beer"house` (?) , n. A house where malt liquors are sold; an alehouse.

Beeriness <Xpage=131>

Beer"i*ness (?) , n. Beery condition.

Beery <Xpage=131>

Beer"y (?) , a. Of or resembling beer; affected by beer; maudlin.

Beestings <Xpage=131>

Beest"ings (?) , n. Same as Biestings .

Beeswax <Xpage=131>

Bees"wax` (?) , n. The wax secreted by bees, and of which their cells are constructed.

Beeswing <Xpage=131>

Bees"wing` (?) , n. The second crust formed in port and some other wines after long keeping. It consists of pure, shining scales of tartar, supposed to resemble the wing of a bee.

Beet <Xpage=131>

Beet (?) , n. [AS. bete , from L. beta .] 1. (Bot.) A biennial plant of the genus Beta , which produces an edible root the first year and seed the second year.

2. The root of plants of the genus Beta , different species and varieties of which are used for the table, for feeding stock, or in making sugar.

&hand; There are many varieties of the common beet ( Beta vulgaris ). The Old "white beet", cultivated for its edible leafstalks, is a distinct species ( Beta Cicla ).

Beete, Bete <Xpage=131>

Beete , Bete (?) , v. t. [AS. b<?/tan to mend. See Better .] 1. To mend; to repair. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

2. To renew or enkindle (a fire). [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Beetle <Xpage=131>

Bee"tle (?) , n. [OE. betel , AS. b\'c6tl , b<?/tl , mallet, hammer, fr. be\'a0tan to beat. See Beat , v. t. ] 1. A heavy mallet, used to drive wedges, beat pavements, etc.

2. A machine in which fabrics are subjected to a hammering process while passing over rollers, as in cotton mills; -- called also beetling machine .

Knight.

<page="132"> Page 132

Beetle <Xpage=132>

Bee"tle (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Beetled (#) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Beetling .] 1. To beat with a heavy mallet.

2. To finish by subjecting to a hammering process in a beetle or beetling machine; as, to beetle cotton goods .

Beetle <Xpage=132>

Bee"tle , n. [OE. bityl , bittle , AS. b<?/tel , fr. b<?/tan to bite. See Bite , v. t. ] Any insect of the order Coleoptera, having four wings, the outer pair being stiff cases for covering the others when they are folded up. See Coleoptera .

Beetle mite (Zo\'94l.) , one of many species of mites, of the family Oribatid\'91 , parasitic on beetles. -- Black beetle , the common large black cockroach ( Blatta orientalis ).

Beetle <Xpage=132>

Bee"tle , v. i. [See Beetlebrowed .] To extend over and beyond the base or support; to overhang; to jut.

To the dreadful summit of the cliff That beetles o'er his base into the sea. Shak.

Each beetling rampart, and each tower sublime. Wordsworth.

Beetle brow <Xpage=132>

Bee"tle brow` (?) . An overhanging brow.

Beetle-browed <Xpage=132>

Bee"tle-browed` (?) , a. [OE. bitelbrowed ; cf. OE. bitel , adj., sharp, projecting, n., a beetle. See Beetle an insect.] Having prominent, overhanging brows; hence, lowering or sullen.

&hand; The earlier meaning was, "Having bushy or overhanging eyebrows."

Beetlehead <Xpage=132>

Bee"tle*head` (?) , n. [ Beetle a mallet + head .]

1. A stupid fellow; a blockhead.

Sir W. Scott.

2. (Zo\'94l.) The black-bellied plover, or bullhead ( Squatarola helvetica ). See Plover .

Beetle-headed <Xpage=132>

Bee"tle-head`ed (?) , a. Dull; stupid.

Shak.

Beetlestock <Xpage=132>

Bee"tle*stock` (?) , n. The handle of a beetle.

Beet radish <Xpage=132>

Beet" rad`ish (?) . Same as Beetrave .

Beetrave <Xpage=132>

Beet"rave` (?) , n. [F. betterave ; bette beet + rave radish.] The common beet ( Beta vulgaris ).

Beeve <Xpage=132>

Beeve (?) , n. [Formed from beeves , pl. of beef .] A beef; a beef creature.

They would knock down the first beeve they met with. W. Irving.

Beeves <Xpage=132>

Beeves (?) , n. ; plural of Beef , the animal.

Befall <Xpage=132>

Be*fall" (?) , v. t. [ imp. Befell (?) ; p. p. Befallen (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Befalling .] [AS. befeallan ; pref. be- + feallan to fall.] To happen to.

I beseech your grace that I may know The worst that may befall me. Shak.

Befall <Xpage=132>

Be*fall" , v. i. To come to pass; to happen.

I have revealed . . . the discord which befell . Milton.

Befit <Xpage=132>

Be*fit" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Befitted ; p. pr. & vb. n. Befitting .] To be suitable to; to suit; to become.

That name best befits thee. Milton.

Befitting <Xpage=132>

Be*fit"ting , a. Suitable; proper; becoming; fitting.

Befittingly <Xpage=132>

Be*fit"ting*ly , adv. In a befitting manner; suitably.

Beflatter <Xpage=132>

Be*flat"ter (?) , v. t. To flatter excessively.

Beflower <Xpage=132>

Be*flow"er (?) , v. t. To besprinkle or scatter over with, or as with, flowers.

Hobbes.

Befog <Xpage=132>

Be*fog" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Befogged (#) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Befogging (#) .] 1. To involve in a fog; -- mostly as a participle or part. adj.

2. Hence: To confuse; to mystify.

Befool <Xpage=132>

Be*fool" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Befooled (#) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Befooling .] [OE. befolen ; pref. be- + fol fool.] 1. To fool; to delude or lead into error; to infatuate; to deceive.

This story . . . contrived to befool credulous men. Fuller.

2. To cause to behave like a fool; to make foolish. "Some befooling drug."

G. Eliot.

Before <Xpage=132>

Be*fore" (?) , prep. [OE. beforen , biforen , before , AS. beforan ; pref. be- + foran , fore , before. See Be- , and Fore .] 1. In front of; preceding in space; ahead of; as, to stand before the fire; before the house.

His angel, who shall go Before them in a cloud and pillar of fire. Milton.

2. Preceding in time; earlier than; previously to; anterior to the time when; -- sometimes with the additional idea of purpose; in order that.

Before Abraham was, I am. John viii. 58.

Before this treatise can become of use, two points are necessary. Swift.

&hand; Formerly before , in this sense, was followed by that . " Before that Philip called thee . . . I saw thee."

John i. 48.

3. An advance of; farther onward, in place or time.

The golden age . . . is before us. Carlyle.

4. Prior or preceding in dignity, order, rank, right, or worth; rather than.

He that cometh after me is preferred before me. John i. 15.

The eldest son is before the younger in succession. Johnson.

5. In presence or sight of; face to face with; facing.

Abraham bowed down himself before the people. Gen. xxiii. 12.

Wherewith shall I come before the Lord? Micah vi. 6.

6. Under the cognizance or jurisdiction of.

If a suit be begun before an archdeacon. Ayliffe.

7. Open for; free of access to; in the power of.

The world was all before them where to choose. Milton.

Before the mast (Naut.) , as a common sailor, -- because the sailors live in the forecastle, forward of the foremast. -- Before the wind (Naut.) , in the direction of the wind and by its impulse; having the wind aft.

Before <Xpage=132>

Be*fore" , adv. 1. On the fore part; in front, or in the direction of the front; -- opposed to in the rear .

The battle was before and behind. 2 Chron. xiii. 14.

2. In advance. "I come befor e to tell you."

Shak.

3. In time past; previously; already.

You tell me, mother, what I knew before . Dryden.

4. Earlier; sooner than; until then.

When the butt is out, we will drink water; not a drop before . Shak.

&hand; Before is often used in self-explaining compounds; as, before -cited, before -mentioned; before said.

Beforehand <Xpage=132>

Be*fore"hand` (?) , adv. [ Before + hand .]

1. In a state of anticipation ore preoccupation; in advance; -- often followed by with .

Agricola . . . resolves to be beforehand with the danger. Milton.

The last cited author has been beforehand with me. Addison.

2. By way of preparation, or preliminary; previously; aforetime.

They may be taught beforehand the skill of speaking. Hooker.

Beforehand <Xpage=132>

Be*fore"hand` , a. In comfortable circumstances as regards property; forehanded.

Rich and much beforehand . Bacon.

Beforetime <Xpage=132>

Be*fore"time` (?) , adv. Formerly; aforetime.

[They] dwelt in their tents, as beforetime . 2 Kings xiii. 5.

Befortune <Xpage=132>

Be*for"tune (?) , v. t. To befall. [Poetic]

I wish all good befortune you. Shak.

Befoul <Xpage=132>

Be*foul" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Befouled (#) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Befouling .] [Cf. AS. bef<?/lan ; pref. be- + f<?/lan to foul. See Foul , a. ] 1. To make foul; to soil.

2. To entangle or run against so as to impede motion.

Befriend <Xpage=132>

Be*friend" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Befriended ; p. pr. & vb. n. Befriending .] To act as a friend to; to favor; to aid, benefit, or countenance.

By the darkness befriended . Longfellow.

Befriendment <Xpage=132>

Be*friend"ment (?) , n. Act of befriending. [R.]

Befrill <Xpage=132>

Be*frill" (?) , v. t. To furnish or deck with a frill.

Befringe <Xpage=132>

Be*fringe" (?) , v. t. To furnish with a fringe; to form a fringe upon; to adorn as with fringe.

Fuller.

Befuddle <Xpage=132>

Be*fud"dle (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Befuddled (#) ] To becloud and confuse, as with liquor.

Beg <Xpage=132>

Beg (?) , n. [Turk. beg , pronounced bay . Cf. Bey , Begum .] A title of honor in Turkey and in some other parts of the East; a bey.

Beg <Xpage=132>

Beg (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Begged (#) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Begging .] [OE. beggen , perh. fr. AS. bedecian (akin to Goth. bedagwa beggar), biddan to ask. (Cf. Bid , v. t. ); or cf. beghard , beguin .] 1. To ask earnestly for; to entreat or supplicate for; to beseech.

I do beg your good will in this case. Shak.

[Joseph] begged the body of Jesus. Matt. xxvii. 58.

Sometimes implying deferential and respectful, rather than earnest, asking; as, I beg your pardon; I beg leave to disagree with you.

2. To ask for as a charity, esp. to ask for habitually or from house to house.

Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. Ps. xxxvii. 25.

3. To make petition to; to entreat; as, to beg a person to grant a favor .

4. To take for granted; to assume without proof.

5. (Old Law) To ask to be appointed guardian for, or to ask to have a guardian appointed for.

Else some will beg thee, in the court of wards. Harrington.

Hence: To beg (one) for a fool , to take him for a fool .

I beg to , is an elliptical expression for I beg leave to ; as, I beg to inform you. -- To bag the question , to assume that which was to be proved in a discussion, instead of adducing the proof or sustaining the point by argument. -- To go a-begging , a figurative phrase to express the absence of demand for something which elsewhere brings a price; as, grapes are so plentiful there that they go a-begging .

Syn. -- To Beg , Ask , Request . To ask (not in the sense of inquiring) is the generic term which embraces all these words. To request is only a polite mode of asking. To beg , in its original sense, was to ask with earnestness, and implied submission, or at least deference. At present, however, in polite life, beg has dropped its original meaning, and has taken the place of both ask and request , on the ground of its expressing more of deference and respect. Thus, we beg a person's acceptance of a present; we beg him to favor us with his company; a tradesman begs to announce the arrival of new goods, etc. Crabb remarks that, according to present usage, "we can never talk of asking a person's acceptance of a thing, or of asking him to do us a favor." This can be more truly said of usage in England than in America.

Beg <Xpage=132>

Beg , v. i. To ask alms or charity, especially to ask habitually by the wayside or from house to house; to live by asking alms.

I can not dig; to beg I am ashamed. Luke xvi. 3.

Bega <Xpage=132>

Be"ga (?) , n. See Bigha .

Begem <Xpage=132>

Be*gem" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Begemmed (#) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Begemming .] To adorn with gems, or as with gems.

Begemmed with dewdrops. Sir W. Scott.

Those lonely realms bright garden isles begem . Shelley.

Beget <Xpage=132>

Be*get" (?) , v. t. [ imp. Begot (?) , (Archaic) Begat (<?/) ; p. p. Begot , Begotten (<?/) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Begetting .] [OE. bigiten , bigeten , to get, beget, AS. begitan to get; pref. be- + gitan . See Get , v. t. ] 1. To procreate, as a father or sire; to generate; -- commonly said of the father.

Yet they a beauteous offspring shall beget . Milton.

2. To get (with child.) [Obs.]

Shak.

3. To produce as an effect; to cause to exist.

Love is begot by fancy. Granville.

Begetter <Xpage=132>

Be*get"ter (?) , n. One who begets; a father.

Beggable <Xpage=132>

Beg"ga*ble (?) , a. Capable of being begged.

Beggar <Xpage=132>

Beg"gar (?) , n. [OE. beggere , fr. beg .] 1. One who begs; one who asks or entreats earnestly, or with humility; a petitioner.

2. One who makes it his business to ask alms.

3. One who is dependent upon others for support; -- a contemptuous or sarcastic use.

4. One who assumes in argument what he does not prove.

Abp. Tillotson.

Beggar <Xpage=132>

Beg"gar , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Beggared (#) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Beggaring .] 1. To reduce to beggary; to impoverish; as, he had beggared himself .

Milton.

2. To cause to seem very poor and inadequate.

It beggared all description. Shak.

Beggarhood <Xpage=132>

Beg"gar*hood (?) , n. The condition of being a beggar; also, the class of beggars.

Beggarism <Xpage=132>

Beg"gar*ism (?) , n. Beggary. [R.]

Beggarliness <Xpage=132>

Beg"gar*li*ness (?) , n. The quality or state of being beggarly; meanness.

Beggarly <Xpage=132>

Beg"gar*ly (?) , a. 1. In the condition of, or like, a beggar; suitable for a beggar; extremely indigent; poverty-stricken; mean; poor; contemptible. "A bankrupt, beggarly fellow." South . "A beggarly fellowship." Swift . " Beggarly elements." Gal. iv. 9 .

2. Produced or occasioned by beggary. [Obs.]

Beggarly sins, that is, those sins which idleness and beggary usually betray men to; such as lying, flattery, stealing, and dissimulation. Jer. Taylor.

Beggarly <Xpage=132>

Beg"gar*ly , adv. In an indigent, mean, or despicable manner; in the manner of a beggar.

Beggar's lice <Xpage=132>

Beg"gar's lice` (?) . (Bot.) The prickly fruit or seed of certain plants (as some species of Echinospermum and Cynoglossum ) which cling to the clothing of those who brush by them.

Beggar's ticks <Xpage=132>