Chapter 91

Be*swike", v. t. [AS. beswcan; be- + swcan to deceive, entice; akin to OS. swkan, OHG. swhhan, Icel. svkja.] To lure; to cheat. [Obs.] Gower.

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

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

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

Be"ta*ine (&?;), n. [From beta, generic name of the beet.] (Chem.) A nitrogenous base, C5H11NO2, produced artificially, and also occurring naturally in beet-root molasses and its residues, from which it is extracted as a white crystalline substance; -- called also lycine and oxyneurine. It has a sweetish taste.

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.]

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

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

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

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.

Be"tel (b"t'l), n. [Pg., fr. Tamil veilei, 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. It is a woody climber with ovate many- nerved leaves.

Bet"el*guese (bt"l*jz), n. [F. Bételgeuse, of Arabic origin.] (Astron.) A bright star of the first magnitude, near one shoulder of Orion. [Written also Betelgeux and Betelgeuse.]

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

||Bête" noire" (&?;). [Fr., lit. black beast.] Something especially hated or dreaded; a bugbear.

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.

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.

Be*think" (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bethought (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Bethinking.] [AS. beþencan; pref. be- + þencan 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 . . . bethink themselves, and recover. Milton.

We bethink a means to break it off. Shak.

Syn. -- To recollect; remember; reflect.

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

Beth"le*hem (&?;), n. [Heb. bth- lekhem house of food; bth house + lekhem food, lkham 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.

{ 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.

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

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

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

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

Be*tide" (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Betided (&?;), Obs. Betid (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Betiding.] [OE. bitiden; pref. bi-, be- + tiden, fr. AS. tdan, to happen, fr. td time. See Tide.] To happen to; to befall; to come to ; as, woe betide the wanderer.

What will betide the few ? Milton.

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

A salve for any sore that may betide. Shak.

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

{ 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.

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

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.

||Bé`ton" (&?;), n. [F. béton, fr. L. bitumen bitumen.] (Masonry) The French name for concrete; hence, concrete made after the French fashion.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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Be*tray" (b*tr"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Betrayed (-trd"); p. pr. & vb. n. Betraying.] [OE. betraien, bitraien; pref. be- + OF. traïr to betray, F. trahir, fr. L. tradere. See Traitor.] 1. To deliver into the hands of an enemy by treachery or fraud, in violation of trust; to give up treacherously or faithlessly; as, an officer betrayed the city.

Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men. Matt. xvii. 22.

2. To prove faithless or treacherous to, as to a trust or one who trusts; to be false to; to deceive; as, to betray a person or a cause.

But when I rise, I shall find my legs betraying me. Johnson.

3. To violate the confidence of, by disclosing a secret, or that which one is bound in honor not to make known.

Willing to serve or betray any government for hire. Macaulay.

4. To disclose or discover, as something which prudence would conceal; to reveal unintentionally.

Be swift to hear, but cautious of your tongue, lest you betray your ignorance. T. Watts.

5. To mislead; to expose to inconvenience not foreseen to lead into error or sin.

Genius . . . often betrays itself into great errors. T. Watts.

6. To lead astray, as a maiden; to seduce (as under promise of marriage) and then abandon.

7. To show or to indicate; -- said of what is not obvious at first, or would otherwise be concealed.

All the names in the country betray great antiquity. Bryant.

Be*tray"al (&?;) n. The act or the result of betraying.

Be*tray"er (&?;), n. One who, or that which, betrays.

Be*tray"ment (&?;), n. Betrayal. [R.] Udall.

Be*trim" (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Betrimmed (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Betrimming.] To set in order; to adorn; to deck, to embellish; to trim. Shak.

Be*troth" (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Betrothed (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Betrothing.] [Pref. be- + troth, i. e., truth. See Truth.] 1. To contract to any one for a marriage; to engage or promise in order to marriage; to affiance; -- used esp. of a woman.

He, in the first flower of my freshest age, Betrothed me unto the only heir. Spenser.

Ay, and we are betrothed. Shak.

2. To promise to take (as a future spouse); to plight one's troth to.

What man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? Deut. xx. 7.

3. To nominate to a bishopric, in order to consecration. Ayliffe.

Be*troth"al (&?;), n. The act of betrothing, or the fact of being betrothed; a mutual promise, engagement, or contract for a future marriage between the persons betrothed; betrothment; affiance. "The feast of betrothal." Longfellow.

Be*troth"ment (&?;), n. The act of betrothing, or the state of being betrothed; betrothal.

Be*trust" (&?;), v. t. To trust or intrust. [Obs.]

Be*trust"ment (&?;), n. The act of intrusting, or the thing intrusted. [Obs.] Chipman.

||Bet"so (&?;), n. [It. bezzo.] A small brass Venetian coin. [Obs.]

Bet"ter (&?;), a.; compar. of Good. [OE. betere, bettre, and as adv. bet, AS. betera, adj., and bet, adv.; akin to Icel. betri, adj., betr, adv., Goth. batiza, adj., OHG. bezziro, adj., baz, adv., G. besser, adj. and adv., bass, adv., E. boot, and prob. to Skr. bhadra excellent. See Boot advantage, and cf. Best, Batful.] 1. Having good qualities in a greater degree than another; as, a better man; a better physician; a better house; a better air.

Could make the worse appear The better reason. Milton.

2. Preferable in regard to rank, value, use, fitness, acceptableness, safety, or in any other respect.

To obey is better than sacrifice. 1 Sam. xv. 22.

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. Ps. cxviii. 9.

3. Greater in amount; larger; more.

4. Improved in health; less affected with disease; as, the patient is better.

5. More advanced; more perfect; as, upon better acquaintance; a better knowledge of the subject.

All the better. See under All, adv. -- Better half, an expression used to designate one's wife.

My dear, my better half (said he), I find I must now leave thee. Sir P. Sidney.

-- To be better off, to be in a better condition. -- Had better. (See under Had). The phrase had better, followed by an infinitive without to, is idiomatic. The earliest form of construction was "were better" with a dative; as, "Him were better go beside." (Gower.) i. e., It would be better for him, etc. At length the nominative (I, he, they, etc.) supplanted the dative and had took the place of were. Thus we have the construction now used.

By all that's holy, he had better starve Than but once think this place becomes thee not. Shak.

Bet"ter, n. 1. Advantage, superiority, or victory; -- usually with of; as, to get the better of an enemy.

2. One who has a claim to precedence; a superior, as in merit, social standing, etc.; -- usually in the plural.

Their betters would hardly be found. Hooker.

For the better, in the way of improvement; so as to produce improvement. "If I have altered him anywhere for the better." Dryden.

Bet"ter, adv.; compar. of Well. 1. In a superior or more excellent manner; with more skill and wisdom, courage, virtue, advantage, or success; as, Henry writes better than John; veterans fight better than recruits.

I could have better spared a better man. Shak.

2. More correctly or thoroughly.

The better to understand the extent of our knowledge. Locke.

3. In a higher or greater degree; more; as, to love one better than another.

Never was monarch better feared, and loved. Shak.

4. More, in reference to value, distance, time, etc.; as, ten miles and better. [Colloq.]

To think better of (any one), to have a more favorable opinion of any one. -- To think better of (an opinion, resolution, etc.), to reconsider and alter one's decision.

Bet"ter (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bettered (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Bettering.] [AS. beterian, betrian, fr. betera better. See Better, a.] 1. To improve or ameliorate; to increase the good qualities of.

Love betters what is best. Wordsworth.

He thought to better his circumstances. Thackeray.

2. To improve the condition of, morally, physically, financially, socially, or otherwise.

The constant effort of every man to better himself. Macaulay.

3. To surpass in excellence; to exceed; to excel.

The works of nature do always aim at that which can not be bettered. Hooker.

4. To give advantage to; to support; to advance the interest of. [Obs.]

Weapons more violent, when next we meet, May serve to better us and worse our foes. Milton.

Syn. -- To improve; meliorate; ameliorate; mend; amend; correct; emend; reform; advance; promote.

Bet"ter, v. i. To become better; to improve. Carlyle.

Bet"ter, n. One who bets or lays a wager.

Bet"ter*ment (&?;), n. 1. A making better; amendment; improvement. W. Montagu.

2. (Law) An improvement of an estate which renders it better than mere repairing would do; -- generally used in the plural. [U. S.] Bouvier.

Bet"ter*most` (&?;), a. Best. [R.] "The bettermost classes." Brougham.

Bet"ter*ness, n. 1. The quality of being better or superior; superiority. [R.] Sir P. Sidney.

2. The difference by which fine gold or silver exceeds in fineness the standard.

||Bet"tong (&?;), n. [Native name.] (Zoöl.) A small, leaping Australian marsupial of the genus Bettongia; the jerboa kangaroo.

Bet"tor (&?;), n. One who bets; a better. Addison.

Bet"ty (&?;), n. 1. [Supposed to be a cant word, from Betty, for Elizabeth, as such an instrument is also called Bess (i. e., Elizabeth) in the Canting Dictionary of 1725, and Jenny (i. e., Jane).] A short bar used by thieves to wrench doors open. [Written also bettee.]

The powerful betty, or the artful picklock. Arbuthnot.

2. [Betty, nickname for Elizabeth.] A name of contempt given to a man who interferes with the duties of women in a household, or who occupies himself with womanish matters.

3. A pear-shaped bottle covered round with straw, in which olive oil is sometimes brought from Italy; -- called by chemists a Florence flask. [U. S.] Bartlett.

Bet"u*lin (&?;), n. [L. betula birch tree.] (Chem.) A substance of a resinous nature, obtained from the outer bark of the common European birch (Betula alba), or from the tar prepared therefrom; -- called also birch camphor. Watts.

Be*tum"ble (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Betumbled (&?;).] To throw into disorder; to tumble. [R.]

From her betumbled couch she starteth. Shak.

Be*tu"tor (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Betutored (&?;).] To tutor; to instruct. Coleridge.

Be*tween" (&?;), prep. [OE. bytwene, bitweonen, AS. betweónan, betweónum; prefix be- by + a form fr. AS. tw two, akin to Goth. tweihnai two apiece. See Twain, and cf. Atween, Betwixt.] 1. In the space which separates; betwixt; as, New York is between Boston and Philadelphia.

2. Used in expressing motion from one body or place to another; from one to another of two.

If things should go so between them. Bacon.

3. Belonging in common to two; shared by both.

Castor and Pollux with only one soul between them. Locke.

4. Belonging to, or participated in by, two, and involving reciprocal action or affecting their mutual relation; as, opposition between science and religion.

An intestine struggle, open or secret, between authority and liberty. Hume.

5. With relation to two, as involved in an act or attribute of which another is the agent or subject; as, to judge between or to choose between courses; to distinguish between you and me; to mediate between nations.

6. In intermediate relation to, in respect to time, quantity, or degree; as, between nine and ten o'clock.

Between decks, the space, or in the space, between the decks of a vessel. -- Between ourselves, Between you and me, Between themselves, in confidence; with the understanding that the matter is not to be communicated to others.

Syn. -- Between, Among. Between etymologically indicates only two; as, a quarrel between two men or two nations; to be between two fires, etc. It is however extended to more than two in expressing a certain relation.

I . . . hope that between public business, improving studies, and domestic pleasures, neither melancholy nor caprice will find any place for entrance. Johnson.

Among implies a mass or collection of things or persons, and always supposes more than two; as, the prize money was equally divided among the ship's crew.

Be*tween", n. Intermediate time or space; interval. [Poetic & R.] Shak.

Be*twixt" (&?;), prep. [OE. betwix, bitwix, rarely bitwixt, AS. betweox, betweohs, betweoh, betwh; pref. be- by + a form fr. AS. tw two. See Between.] 1. In the space which separates; between.

From betwixt two aged oaks. Milton.

2. From one to another of; mutually affecting.

There was some speech of marriage Betwixt myself and her. Shak.

Betwixt and between, in a midway position; so-so; neither one thing nor the other. [Colloq.]

||Beur*ré" (&?;), n. [F., fr. beurre butter.] (Bot.) A beurré (or buttery) pear, one with the meat soft and melting; -- used with a distinguishing word; as, Beurré d'Anjou; Beurré Clairgeau.

Bev"el (&?;), n. [C. F. biveau, earlier buveau, Sp. baivel; of unknown origin. Cf. Bevile.] 1. Any angle other than a right angle; the angle which one surface makes with another when they are not at right angles; the slant or inclination of such surface; as, to give a bevel to the edge of a table or a stone slab; the bevel of a piece of timber.

2. An instrument consisting of two rules or arms, jointed together at one end, and opening to any angle, for adjusting the surfaces of work to the same or a given inclination; -- called also a bevel square. Gwilt.

Bev"el, a. 1. Having the slant of a bevel; slanting.

2. Hence: Morally distorted; not upright. [Poetic]

I may be straight, though they themselves be bevel. Shak.

A bevel angle, any angle other than one of 90°. -- Bevel wheel, a cogwheel whose working face is oblique to the axis. Knight.

Bev"el, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beveled (&?;) or Bevelled; p. pr. & vb. n. Beveling or Bevelling.] To cut to a bevel angle; to slope the edge or surface of.

Bev"el, v. i. To deviate or incline from an angle of 90°, as a surface; to slant.

Their houses are very ill built, the walls bevel. Swift.

{ Bev"eled, Bev"elled } (&?;), a. 1. Formed to a bevel angle; sloping; as, the beveled edge of a table.

2. (Min.) Replaced by two planes inclining equally upon the adjacent planes, as an edge; having its edges replaced by sloping planes, as a cube or other solid.

Bev"el gear` (&?;). (Mech.) A kind of gear in which the two wheels working together lie in different planes, and have their teeth cut at right angles to the surfaces of two cones whose apices coincide with the point where the axes of the wheels would meet.

Bev"el*ment (&?;), n. (Min.) The replacement of an edge by two similar planes, equally inclined to the including faces or adjacent planes.

Be"ver (&?;), n. [OE. bever a drink, drinking time, OF. beivre, boivre, to drink, fr. L. bibere.] A light repast between meals; a lunch. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.

Be"ver, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Bevered (&?;).] To take a light repast between meals. [Obs.]

Bev"er*age (&?;), n. [OF. bevrage, F. breuvage, fr. beivre to drink, fr. L. bibere. Cf. Bib, v. t., Poison, Potable.] 1. Liquid for drinking; drink; -- usually applied to drink artificially prepared and of an agreeable flavor; as, an intoxicating beverage.

He knew no beverage but the flowing stream. Thomson.

2. Specifically, a name applied to various kinds of drink.

3. A treat, or drink money. [Slang]

Bev"ile (&?;), n. [See Bevel.] (Her.) A chief broken or opening like a carpenter's bevel. Encyc. Brit.

{ Bev"iled, Bev"illed } (&?;), a. (Her.) Notched with an angle like that inclosed by a carpenter's bevel; -- said of a partition line of a shield.

Bev"y (&?;), n.; pl. Bevies (&?;). [Perhaps orig. a drinking company, fr. OF. bevée (cf. It. beva) a drink, beverage; then, perh., a company in general, esp. of ladies; and last applied by sportsmen to larks, quails, etc. See Beverage.] 1. A company; an assembly or collection of persons, especially of ladies.

What a bevy of beaten slaves have we here ! Beau. & Fl.

2. A flock of birds, especially quails or larks; also, a herd of roes.

Be*wail" (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bewailed (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Bewailing.] To express deep sorrow for, as by wailing; to lament; to wail over.

Hath widowed and unchilded many a one, Which to this hour bewail the injury. Shak.

Syn. -- To bemoan; grieve. -- See Deplore.

Be*wail", v. i. To express grief; to lament. Shak.

Be*wail"a*ble (&?;), a. Such as may, or ought to, be bewailed; lamentable.

Be*wail"er (&?;), n. One who bewails or laments.

Be*wail"ing, a. Wailing over; lamenting. -- Be*wail"ing*ly, adv.

Be*wail"ment (&?;), n. The act of bewailing.

Be*wake" (&?;), v. t. & i. To keep watch over; to keep awake. [Obs.] Gower.

Be*ware" (&?;), v. i. [Be, imperative of verb to be + ware. See Ware, Wary.] 1. To be on one's guard; to be cautious; to take care; -- commonly followed by of or lest before the thing that is to be avoided.

Beware of all, but most beware of man ! Pope.

Beware the awful avalanche. Longfellow.

2. To have a special regard; to heed. [Obs.]

Behold, I send an Angel before thee. . . . Beware of him, and obey his voice. Ex. xxiii. 20, 21.

This word is a compound from be and the Old English ware, now wary, which is an adjective. "Be ye war of false prophetis." Wyclif, Matt. vii. 15. It is used commonly in the imperative and infinitive modes, and with such auxiliaries (shall, should, must, etc.) as go with the infinitive.

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Be*ware" (b*wâr"), v. t. To avoid; to take care of; to have a care for. [Obs.] "Priest, beware your beard." Shak.

To wish them beware the son. Milton.

Be*wash" (&?;), v. t. To drench or souse with water. "Let the maids bewash the men." Herrick.

Be*weep" (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bewept (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Beweeping.] [AS. bew&?;pan; pref. be- + weep.] To weep over; to deplore; to bedew with tears. "His timeless death beweeping." Drayton.

Be*weep", v. i. To weep. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Be*wet" (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bewet, Bewetted.] To wet or moisten. Gay.

Be*whore" (&?;), v. t. 1. To corrupt with regard to chastity; to make a whore of. J. Fletcher.

2. To pronounce or characterize as a whore. Shak.

Be*wig" (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bewigged (&?;).] To cover (the head) with a wig. Hawthorne.

Be*wil"der (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bewildered (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Bewildering.] [Pref. be- + wilder.] To lead into perplexity or confusion, as for want of a plain path; to perplex with mazes; or in general, to perplex or confuse greatly.