Chapter 32

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. 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”l.), one of many species of mites, of the family Oribatid‘, parasitic on beetles. Ð Black beetle, the common large black cockroach (Blatta orientalis). 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. Bee¶tle brow· (?). An overhanging brow. Bee¶tleÐbrowed· (?), a. [OE. bitelbrowed; cf. OE. bitel, adj., sharp, projecting, n., a beetle. See Beetle an insect.] Having prominent, overhanging brows; hence, lowering or sullen. µ The earlier meaning was, ½Having bushy or overhanging eyebrows.¸ Bee¶tleÏhead· (?), n. [Beetle a mallet + head.] 1. A stupid fellow; a blockhead. Sir W. Scott. 2. (Zo”l.) The blackÏbellied plover, or bullhead (Squatarola helvetica). See Plover. Bee¶tleÐhead·ed (?), a. Dull; stupid. Shak. Bee¶tleÏstock· (?), n. The handle of a beetle. Beet¶ rad·ish (?). Same as Beetrave. Beet¶rave· (?), n. [F. betterave; bette beet + rave radish.] The common beet (Beta vulgaris). 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 (?), n.; plural of Beef, the animal. BeÏfall¶ (?), v. t. [imp. Befell (?); p. p. Befallen (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Befalling.] [ AS. befeallan; pref. beÏ + feallan to fall.] To happen to. I beseech your grace that I may know The worst that may befall me. Shak. BeÏfall¶, v. i. To come to pass; to happen. I have revealed ... the discord which befell. Milton. BeÏfit¶ (?), 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. BeÏfit¶ting, a. Suitable; proper; becoming; fitting. BeÏfit¶tingÏly, adv. In a befitting manner; suitably. BeÏflat¶ter (?), v. t. To flatter excessively. BeÏflow¶er (?), v. t. To besprinkle or scatter over with, or as with, flowers. Hobbes. BeÏfog¶ (?), v. t. [imp. & p.p. Befogged (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Befogging (?).] 1. To involve in a fog; Ð mostly as a participle or part. adj. 2. Hence: To confuse; to mystify. BeÏfool¶ (?), v. t. [imp. & p.p. Befooled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Befooling.] [OE. befolen; pref. beÏ + 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. ½Some befooling drug.¸ G. Eliot. BeÏfore¶ (?), prep. [OE. beforen, biforen, before, AS. beforan; pref. beÏ + foran, fore, before. See BeÏ, 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; Ð 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. µ Formerly before, in this sense, was followed by that. ½Before 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, Ð because the sailors live in the forecastle, forward of the foremast. Ð Before the wind (Naut.), in the direction of the wind and by its impulse; having the wind aft. BeÏfore¶, adv. 1. On the fore part; in front, or in the direction of the front; Ð opposed to in the rear. The battle was before and behind. 2 Chron. xiii. 14. 2. In advance. ½I come before 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. µ Before is often used in selfÐexplaining compounds; as, beforeÐcited, beforeÐmentioned; beforesaid. BeÏfore¶hand· (?), adv. [Before + hand.] 1. In a state of anticipation ore preoccupation; in advance; Ð 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. BeÏfore¶hand·, a. In comfortable circumstances as regards property; forehanded. Rich and much beforehand. Bacon. BeÏfore¶time· (?), adv. Formerly; aforetime. [They] dwelt in their tents, as beforetime. 2 Kings xiii. 5. BeÏfor¶tune (?), v. t. To befall. [Poetic] I wish all good befortune you. Shak. BeÏfoul¶ (?), v. t. [imp. & p.p. Befouled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Befouling.] [Cf. AS. bef?lan; pref. beÏ + f?lan to foul. See Foul, a.] 1. To make foul; to soil. 2. To entangle or run against so as to impede motion. BeÏfriend¶ (?), 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. BeÏfriend¶ment (?), n. Act of befriending. [R.] BeÏfrill¶ (?), v. t. To furnish or deck with a frill. BeÏfringe¶ (?), v. t. To furnish with a fringe; to form a fringe upon; to adorn as with fringe. Fuller. BeÏfud¶dle (?), v. t. [imp. & p.p. Befuddled (?)] To becloud and confuse, as with liquor. 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 (?), 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. Ð 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. Ð To go aÏbegging, 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 aÏbegging. Syn. Ð 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, ½we 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, 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. ØBe¶ga (?), n. See Bigha. BeÏgem¶ (?), 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. BeÏget¶ (?), 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. beÏ + gitan. See Get, v. t. ] 1. To procreate, as a father or sire; to generate; Ð 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. BeÏget¶ter (?), n. One who begets; a father. Beg¶gaÏble (?), a. Capable of being begged. 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; Ð a contemptuous or sarcastic use. 4. One who assumes in argument what he does not prove. Abp. Tillotson. 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. Beg¶garÏhood (?), n. The condition of being a beggar; also, the class of beggars. Beg¶garÏism (?), n. Beggary. [R.] Beg¶garÏliÏness (?), n. The quality or state of being beggarly; meanness. Beg¶garÏly (?), a. 1. In the condition of, or like, a beggar; suitable for a beggar; extremely indigent; povertyÏstricken; mean; poor; contemptible.½A bankrupt, beggarly fellow.¸ South. ½A beggarly fellowship.¸ Swift. ½Beggarly 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. Beg¶garÏly, adv. In an indigent, mean, or despicable manner; in the manner of a beggar. 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. Beg¶gar's ticks· (?). The bur marigold (Bidens) and its achenes, which are armed with barbed awns, and adhere to clothing and fleeces with unpleasant tenacity. Beg¶garÏy (?), n. [OE. beggerie. See Beggar, n.] 1. The act of begging; the state of being a beggar; mendicancy; extreme poverty. 2. Beggarly appearance. [R.] The freedom and the beggary of the old studio. Thackeray. Syn. Ð Indigence; want; penury; mendicancy. Beg¶garÏy, a. Beggarly. [Obs.] B. Jonson. Beg¶geÏstere (?), n. [Beg + Ïster.] A beggar. [Obs.] Chaucer. BeÏghard¶ BeÏguard¶ } (?), n. [F. b‚gard, b‚guard; cf. G. beghard, LL. Beghardus, Begihardus, Begardus. Prob. from the root of beguine + Ïard or Ïhard. See Beguine.] (Eccl. Hist.) One of an association of religious laymen living in imitation of the Beguines. They arose in the thirteenth century, were afterward subjected to much persecution, and were suppressed by Innocent X. in 1650. Called also Beguins. BeÏgild¶ (?), v. t. [imp. & p.p. Begilded or Begilt (?).] To gild. B. Jonson. BeÏgin¶ (?), v. i. [imp. & p.p. Began (?), Begun (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Beginning (?).] [AS. beginnan (akin to OS. biginnan, D. & G. beginnen, OHG. biginnan, Goth., duÏginnan, Sw. begynna, Dan. begynde); pref. beÏ + an assumed ginnan. ?31. See Gin to begin.] 1. To have or commence an independent or first existence; to take rise; to commence. Vast chain of being ! which from God began. Pope. 2. To do the first act or the first part of an action; to enter upon or commence something new, as a new form or state of being, or course of action; to take the first step; to start. ½Tears began to flow.¸ Dryden. When I begin, I will also make an end. 1 Sam. iii. 12. BeÏgin¶, v. t. 1. To enter on; to commence. Ye nymphs of Solyma ! begin the song. Pope. 2. To trace or lay the foundation of; to make or place a beginning of. The apostle begins our knowledge in the creatures, which leads us to the knowledge of God. Locke. Syn. Ð To commence; originate; set about; start. BeÏgin¶, n. Beginning. [Poetic & Obs.] Spenser. BeÏgin¶ner (?), n. One who begins or originates anything. Specifically: A young or inexperienced practitioner or student; a tyro. A sermon of a new beginner. Swift. BeÏgin¶ning (?), n. 1. The act of doing that which begins anything; commencement of an action, state, or space of time; entrance into being or upon a course; the first act, effort, or state of a succession of acts or states. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Gen. i. 1. 2. That which begins or originates something; the first cause; origin; source. I am ... the beginning and the ending. Rev. i. 8. 3. That which is begun; a rudiment or element. Mighty things from small beginnings grow. Dryden. 4. Enterprise. ½To hinder our beginnings.¸ Shak. Syn. Ð Inception; prelude; opening; threshold; origin; outset; foundation. BeÏgird¶ (?), v. t. [imp. Begirt (?), Begirded; p. p. Begirt; p. pr. & vb. n. Begirding.] [AS. begyrdan (akin to Goth. bigairdan); pref. beÏ + gyrdan to gird.] 1. To bind with a band or girdle; to gird. 2. To surround as with a band; to encompass. BeÏgir¶dle (?), v. t. To surround as with a girdle. BeÏgirt¶ (?), v. t. To encompass; to begird. Milton. ØBeg¶lerÏbeg· (?), n. [Turk. beglerbeg, fr. beg, pl. begler. See Beg, n.] The governor of a province of the Ottoman empire, next in dignity to the grand vizier. BeÏgnaw¶ (?), v. t. [p. p. Begnawed (?), (R.) Begnawn (?).] [AS. begnagan; pref. beÏ + gnagan to gnaw.] To gnaw; to eat away; to corrode. The worm of conscience still begnaw thy soul. Shak. BeÏgod¶ (?), v. t. [imp. & p.p. Begodded.] To exalt to the dignity of a god; to deify. [Obs.] ½Begodded saints.¸ South. BeÏgone¶ (?), interj. [Be, v. i. + gone, p. p.] Go away; depart; get you gone. BeÏgone¶, p. p. [OE. begon, AS. big¾n; pref. beÏ + g¾n to go.] Surrounded; furnished; beset; environed (as in woeÏbegone). [Obs.] Gower. Chaucer. BeÏgo¶niÏa (?), n. [From Michel Begon, a promoter of botany.] (Bot.) A genus of plants, mostly of tropical America, many species of which are grown as ornamental plants. The leaves are curiously oneÐsided, and often exhibit brilliant colors.

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