Chapter 153

Best man , the only or principal groomsman at a wedding ceremony.

Best <Xpage=140>

Best , n. Utmost; highest endeavor or state; most nearly perfect thing, or being, or action; as, to do one's best ; to the best of our ability.

At best , in the utmost degree or extent applicable to the case; under the most favorable circumstances; as, life is at best very short. -- For best , finally. [Obs.] "Those constitutions . . . are now established for best , and not to be mended." Milton . -- To get the best o f, to gain an advantage over, whether fairly or unfairly. -- To make the best of . (a) To improve to the utmost; to use or dispose of to the greatest advantage. "Let there be freedom to carry their commodities where they can make the best of them." Bacon . (b) To reduce to the least possible inconvenience; as, to make the best of ill fortune or a bad bargain.

Best <Xpage=140>

Best , adv. ; superl. of Well . 1. In the highest degree; beyond all others. "Thou serpent! That name best befits thee."

Milton.

He prayeth best , who loveth best All things both great and small. Coleridge.

2. To the most advantage; with the most success, case, profit, benefit, or propriety.

Had we best retire? I see a storm. Milton.

Had I not best go to her? Thackeray.

3. Most intimately; most thoroughly or correctly; as, what is expedient is best known to himself .

Best <Xpage=140>

Best , v. t. To get the better of. [Colloq.]

Bestad <Xpage=140>

Be*stad" (?) , imp. & p. p. of Bestead . Beset; put in peril. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Bestain <Xpage=140>

Be*stain" (?) , v. t. To stain.

Bestar <Xpage=140>

Be*star" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bestarred (#) .] To sprinkle with, or as with, stars; to decorate with, or as with, stars; to bestud. " Bestarred with anemones."

W. Black.

Bestead <Xpage=140>

Be*stead" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bestead or Bested , also (Obs.) Bestad . In sense 3 imp. also Besteaded .] [Pref. be- + stead a place.] 1. To put in a certain situation or condition; to circumstance; to place. [Only in p. p.]

They shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: . . . and curse their king and their God. Is. viii. 21.

Many far worse bestead than ourselves. Barrow.

2. To put in peril; to beset. [Only in p. p.]

Chaucer.

3. To serve; to assist; to profit; to avail.

Milton.

Bestial <Xpage=140>

Bes"tial (?) , a. [F. bestial , L. bestialis , fr. bestia beast. See Beast .] 1. Belonging to a beast, or to the class of beasts.

Among the bestial herds to range. Milton.

2. Having the qualities of a beast; brutal; below the dignity of reason or humanity; irrational; carnal; beastly; sensual.

Shak.

Syn. -- Brutish; beastly; brutal; carnal; vile; low; depraved; sensual; filthy.

Bestial <Xpage=140>

Bes"tial , n. A domestic animal; also collectively, cattle; as, other kinds of bestial . [Scot.]

Bestiality <Xpage=140>

Bes*tial"i*ty (?) , n. [F. bestialit\'82 .] 1. The state or quality of being bestial.

2. Unnatural connection with a beast.

Bestialize <Xpage=140>

Bes"tial*ize (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bestialized (#) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Bestializing .] To make bestial, or like a beast; to degrade; to brutalize.

The process of bestializing humanity. Hare.

Bestially <Xpage=140>

Bes"tial*ly , adv. In a bestial manner.

Bestick <Xpage=140>

Be*stick" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bestuck (#) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Besticking .] To stick over, as with sharp points pressed in; to mark by infixing points or spots here and there; to pierce.

Truth shall retire Bestuck with slanderous darts. Milton.

Bestill <Xpage=140>

Be*still" (?) , v. t. To make still.

Bestir <Xpage=140>

Be*stir" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bestirred (#) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Bestirring .] To put into brisk or vigorous action; to move with life and vigor; -- usually with the reciprocal pronoun.

You have so bestirred your valor. Shak.

Rouse and bestir themselves ere well awake. Milton.

Bestorm <Xpage=140>

Be*storm" (?) , v. i. & t. To storm.

Young.

Bestow <Xpage=140>

Be*stow" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bestowed (#) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Bestowing .] [OE. bestowen ; pref. be- + stow a place. See Stow .] 1. To lay up in store; to deposit for safe keeping; to stow; to place; to put. "He bestowed it in a pouch."

Sir W. Scott.

See that the women are bestowed in safety. Byron.

2. To use; to apply; to devote, as time or strength in some occupation.

3. To expend, as money. [Obs.]

4. To give or confer; to impart; -- with on or upon.

Empire is on us bestowed . Cowper.

Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor. 1 Cor. xiii. 3.

5. To give in marriage.

I could have bestowed her upon a fine gentleman. Tatler.

6. To demean; to conduct; to behave; -- followed by a reflexive pronoun. [Obs.]

How might we see Falstaff bestow himself to-night in his true colors, and not ourselves be seen ? Shak.

Syn. -- To give; grant; present; confer; accord.

Bestowal <Xpage=140>

Be*stow"al (?) , n. The act of bestowing; disposal.

Bestower <Xpage=140>

Be*stow"er (?) , n. One that bestows.

Bestowment <Xpage=140>

Be*stow"ment (?) , n. 1. The act of giving or bestowing; a conferring or bestowal.

If we consider this bestowment of gifts in this view. Chauncy.

2. That which is given or bestowed.

They almost refuse to give due praise and credit to God's own bestowments . I. Taylor.

Bestraddle <Xpage=140>

Be*strad"dle (?) , v. t. To bestride.

Bestraught <Xpage=140>

Be*straught" (?) , a. [Pref. be- + straught ; prob. here used for distraught .] Out of one's senses; distracted; mad. [Obs.]

Shak.

Bestreak <Xpage=140>

Be*streak" (?) , v. t. To streak.

Bestrew <Xpage=140>

Be*strew" (?) , v. t. [ imp. Bestrewed (?) ; p. p. Bestrewed , Bestrown (<?/); p. pr. & vb. n. Bestrewing .] To strew or scatter over; to besprinkle. [Spelt also bestrow .]

Milton.

Bestride <Xpage=140>

Be*stride" (?) , v. t. [ imp. Bestrode (?) , (Obs. or R.) Bestrid (<?/) ; p. p. Bestridden (?) , Bestrid , Bestrode ; p. pr. & vb. n. Bestriding .] [AS. bestr\'c6dan ; pref. be- + str\'c6dan to stride.] 1. To stand or sit with anything between the legs, or with the legs astride; to stand over

That horse that thou so often hast bestrid . Shak.

Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world Like a Colossus. Shak.

2. To step over; to stride over or across; as, to bestride a threshold .

Bestrode <Xpage=140>

Be*strode" (?) , imp. & p. p. of Bestride .

Bestrown <Xpage=140>

Be*strown" (?) , p. p. of Bestrew .

Bestuck <Xpage=140>

Be*stuck" (?) , imp. & p. p. Bestick .

Bestud <Xpage=140>

Be*stud" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bestudded ; p. pr. & vb. n. Bestudding .] To set or adorn, as with studs or bosses; to set thickly; to stud; as, to bestud with stars .

Milton.

Beswike <Xpage=140>

Be*swike" , v. t. [AS. besw\'c6can ; be- + sw\'c6can to deceive, entice; akin to OS. sw\'c6kan , OHG. sw\'c6hhan , Icel. sv\'c6kja .] To lure; to cheat. [Obs.]

Gower.

Bet <Xpage=140>

Bet (?) , n. [Prob. from OE. abet abetting, OF. abet , fr. abeter to excite, incite. See Abet .] That which is laid, staked, or pledged, as between two parties, upon the event of a contest or any contingent issue; the act of giving such a pledge; a wager. "Having made his bets ."

Goldsmith.

Bet <Xpage=140>

Bet , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bet , Betted (#) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Betting .] To stake or pledge upon the event of a contingent issue; to wager.

John a Gaunt loved him well, and betted much money on his head. Shak.

I'll bet you two to one I'll make him do it. O. W. Holmes.

Bet <Xpage=140>

Bet , imp. & p. p. of Beat . [Obs.]

Bet <Xpage=140>

Bet , a. & adv. An early form of Better . [Obs.]

To go bet , to go fast; to hurry. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Betaine <Xpage=140>

Be"ta*ine (?) , n. [From beta , generic name of the beet.] (Chem.) A nitrogenous base, C5H11NO2 , produced artificially, and also occurring naturally in beetroot molasses and its residues, from which it is extracted as a white crystalline substance; -- called also lycine and oxyneurine . It has a sweetish taste. <-- not the amino acid lysine -->

Betake <Xpage=140>

Be*take" (?) , v. t. [ imp. Betook (#) ; p. p. Betaken (#) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Betaking .] [Pref. be- + take .] 1. To take or seize. [Obs.]

Spenser.

2. To have recourse to; to apply; to resort; to go; -- with a reflexive pronoun.

They betook themselves to treaty and submission. Burke.

The rest, in imitation, to like arms Betook them. Milton.

Whither shall I betake me, where subsist? Milton.

3. To commend or intrust to; to commit to. [Obs.]

Betaught <Xpage=140>

Be*taught" (?) , a. [p. p. of OE. bitechen , AS. bet<?/can , to assign, deliver. See Teach .] Delivered; committed in trust. [Obs.]

Bete <Xpage=140>

Bete (?) , v. t. To better; to mend. See Beete . [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Beteela <Xpage=140>

Be*tee"la (?) , n. [Pg. beatilha .] An East India muslin, formerly used for cravats, veils, etc. [Obs.]

Beteem <Xpage=140>

Be*teem" (?) , v. t. [Pref. be- + an old verb teem to be fitting; cf. D. betamen to beseem, G. ziemen , Goth. gatiman , and E. tame . See Tame , a. ] 1. To give ; to bestow; to grant; to accord; to consent. [Obs.]

Spenser. Milton.

2. To allow; to permit; to suffer. [Obs.]

So loving to my mother, That he might not beteem the winds of heaven Visit her face too roughly. Shak.

Betel <Xpage=140>

Be"tel (?) , n. [Pg., fr. Tamil vettilei , prop. meaning, a mere leaf.] (Bot.) A species of pepper ( Piper betle ), the leaves of which are chewed, with the areca or betel nut and a little shell lime, by the inhabitants of the East Indies. I is a woody climber with ovate manynerved leaves.

Betelguese <Xpage=140>

Bet"el*guese (?) , n. [F. B\'82telgeuse , of Arabic origin.] (Astron.) A bright star of the first magnitude, near one shoulder of Orion. [Written also Betelgeux and Betelgeuse .]

Betel nut <Xpage=140>

Be"tel nut` (?) . The nutlike seed of the areca palm, chewed in the East with betel leaves (whence its name) and shell lime.

B\'88te noire <Xpage=140>

B\'88te" noire" (?) . [Fr., lit. black beast.] Something especially hated or dreaded; a bugbear.

Bethabara wood <Xpage=140>

Beth*ab"a*ra wood` (?) . (Bot.) A highly elastic wood, used for fishing rods, etc. The tree is unknown, but it is thought to be East Indian.

Bethel <Xpage=140>

Beth"el (?) , n. [Heb. b<?/th-el house of God.]

1. A place of worship; a hallowed spot.

S. F. Adams.

2. A chapel for dissenters. [Eng.]

3. A house of worship for seamen.

Bethink <Xpage=140>

Be*think" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bethought (#) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Bethinking .] [AS. be<?/encan ; pref. be- + <?/encan to think. See Think .] To call to mind; to recall or bring to recollection, reflection, or consideration; to think; to consider; -- generally followed by a reflexive pronoun, often with of or that before the subject of thought.

I have bethought me of another fault. Shak.

The rest . . . may . . . bethin k themselves, and recover. Milton.

We bethink a means to break it off. Shak.

Syn. -- To recollect; remember; reflect.

Bethink <Xpage=140>

Be*think" , v. i. To think; to recollect; to consider. " Bethink ere thou dismiss us."

Byron.

Bethlehem <Xpage=140>

Beth"le*hem (?) , n. [Heb. b<?/th-lekhem house of food; b<?/th house + lekhem food, l\'bekham to eat. Formerly the name of a hospital for the insane, in London, which had been the priory of St. Mary of Bethlehem. Cf. Bedlam .] 1. A hospital for lunatics; -- corrupted into bedlam .

2. (Arch.) In the Ethiopic church, a small building attached to a church edifice, in which the bread for the eucharist is made.

Audsley.

Bethlehemite, Bethlemite <Xpage=140>

Beth"le*hem*ite (?) , Beth"lem*ite (?) , n. 1. An inhabitant of Bethlehem in Judea.

2. An insane person; a madman; a bedlamite.

3. One of an extinct English order of monks.

Bethought <Xpage=140>

Be*thought" (?) , imp. & p. p. of Bethink .

Bethrall <Xpage=140>

Be*thrall" (?) , v. t. To reduce to thralldom; to inthrall. [Obs.]

Spenser.

Bethumb <Xpage=140>

Be*thumb" (?) , v. t. To handle; to wear or soil by handling; as books.

Poe.

Bethump <Xpage=140>

Be*thump" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bethumped (#) , or Bethumpt ; p. pr. & vb. n. Bethumping .] To beat or thump soundly.

Shak.

Betide <Xpage=140>

Be*tide" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Betided (#) , Obs . Betid (#) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Betiding .] [OE. bitiden ; pref. bi- , be- + tiden , fr. AS. t\'c6dan , to happen, fr. t\'c6d time. See Tide .] To happen to; to befall; to come to ; as, woe betide the wanderer .

What will betide the few ? Milton.

Betide <Xpage=140>

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

A salve for any sore that may betide . Shak.

&hand; Shakespeare has used it with of . "What would betide of me ?"

Betime, Betimes <Xpage=140>

Be*time" (?) , Be*times" (?) , adv. [Pref. be- (for by ) + time ; that is, by the proper time. The -s is an adverbial ending.] 1. In good season or time; before it is late; seasonably; early.

To measure life learn thou betimes . Milton.

To rise betimes is often harder than to do all the day's work. Barrow.

2. In a short time; soon; speedily; forth with.

He tires betimes that spurs too fast betimes. Shak.

Betitle <Xpage=140>

Be*ti"tle (?) , v. t. To furnish with a title or titles; to entitle. [Obs.]

Carlyle.

Betoken <Xpage=140>

Be*to"ken (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Betokened (#) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Betokening .] 1. To signify by some visible object; to show by signs or tokens.

A dewy cloud, and in the cloud a bow . . . Betokening peace from God, and covenant new. Milton.

2. To foreshow by present signs; to indicate something future by that which is seen or known; as, a dark cloud often betokens a storm .

Syn. -- To presage; portend; indicate; mark; note.

B\'82ton <Xpage=140>

B\'82`ton" (?) , n. [F. b\'82ton , fr. L. bitumen bitumen.] (Masonry) The French name for concrete; hence, concrete made after the French fashion.

Betongue <Xpage=140>

Be*tongue" (?) , v. t. To attack with the tongue; to abuse; to insult.

Betony <Xpage=140>

Bet"o*ny (?) , n. ; pl. Betonies (#) . [OE. betony , betany , F. betoine , fr. L. betonica , vettonica .] (Bot.) A plant of the genus Betonica (Linn.).

&hand; The purple or wood betony ( B. officinalis , Linn.) is common in Europe, being formerly used in medicine, and (according to Loudon) in dyeing wool a yellow color.

Betook <Xpage=140>

Be*took" (?) , imp. of Betake .

Betorn <Xpage=140>

Be*torn" (?) , a. Torn in pieces; tattered.

Betoss <Xpage=140>

Be*toss (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Betossed (#) .] To put in violent motion; to agitate; to disturb; to toss. "My betossed soul."

Shak.

Betrap <Xpage=140>

Be*trap" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Betrapped (#) .] 1. To draw into, or catch in, a trap; to insnare; to circumvent.

Gower.

2. To put trappings on; to clothe; to deck.

After them followed two other chariots covered with red satin, and the horses betrapped with the same. Stow.

<page="141"> Page 141

Betray <Xpage=141>