Beginning Be·gin"ning noun 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.
Reintransitive verb 8.

3. That which is begun; a rudiment or element.

Mighty things from small beginnings grow.
Dryden.

4. Enterprise. "To hinder our beginnings ." Shak.

Syn. -- Inception; prelude; opening; threshold; origin; outset; foundation.

Begird Be·gird" transitive verb [ imperfect Begirt Begirded ; past participle Begirt ; present participle & verbal noun Begirding .] [ Anglo-Saxon begyrdan (akin to Goth. bigairdan ); prefix be- + gyrdan to gird.] 1. To bind with a band or girdle; to gird.

2. To surround as with a band; to encompass.

Begirdle Be·gir"dle transitive verb To surround as with a girdle.

Begirt Be·girt" transitive verb To encompass; to begird. Milton.

Beglerbeg Beg"ler·beg` noun [ Turk. beglerbeg , from beg , plural begler . See Beg , noun ] The governor of a province of the Ottoman empire, next in dignity to the grand vizier.

Begnaw Be·gnaw" transitive verb [ past participle Begnawed (R.) Begnawn ] [ Anglo-Saxon begnagan ; prefix be- + gnagan to gnaw.] To gnaw; to eat away; to corrode.

The worm of conscience still begnaw thy soul.
Shak.

Begod Be·god" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Begodded .] To exalt to the dignity of a god; to deify. [ Obsolete] " Begodded saints." South.

Begohm Beg"ohm` noun (Electricity) A unit of resistance equal to one billion ohms, or one thousand megohms.

Begone Be·gone" interj. [ Be , intransitive verb + gone , past participle ] Go away; depart; get you gone.

Begone Be·gone" past participle [ Middle English begon , Anglo-Saxon bigān ; prefix be- + gān to go.] Surrounded; furnished; beset; environed (as in woe- begone ). [ Obsolete] Gower. Chaucer.

Begonia Be·go"ni·a (be*gō"nĭ*ȧ) noun [ From Michel Begon , a promoter of botany.] (Botany) A genus of plants, mostly of tropical America, many species of which are grown as ornamental plants. The leaves are curiously one-sided, and often exhibit brilliant colors.

Begore Be·gore" (be*gōr") transitive verb To besmear with gore.

Begot Be·got" (be*gŏt"), imperfect & past participle of Beget .

Begotten Be·got"ten past participle of Beget .

Begrave Be·grave" transitive verb [ Prefix be- + grave ; akin to German begraben , Goth. bigraban to dig a ditch around.] To bury; also, to engrave. [ Obsolete] Gower.

Begrease Be·grease" transitive verb To soil or daub with grease or other oily matter.

Begrime Be·grime" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Begrimed ; present participle & verbal noun Begriming .] To soil with grime or dirt deeply impressed or rubbed in.

Books falling to pieces and begrimed with dust.
Macaulay.

Begrimer Be·grim"er noun One who, or that which, begrimes.

Begrudge Be·grudge" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Begrudged ; present participle & verbal noun Begrudging .] To grudge; to envy the possession of.

Beguile Be·guile" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Beguiled ; present participle & verbal noun Beguiling .] 1. To delude by guile, artifice, or craft; to deceive or impose on, as by a false statement; to lure.

The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
Gen. iii. 13.

2. To elude, or evade by craft; to foil. [ Obsolete]

When misery could beguile the tyrant's rage.
Shak.

3. To cause the time of to pass without notice; to relieve the tedium or weariness of; to while away; to divert.

Ballads . . . to beguile his incessant wayfaring.
W. Irving.

Syn. -- To delude; deceive; cheat; insnare; mislead; amuse; divert; entertain.

Beguilement Be·guile"ment noun The act of beguiling, or the state of being beguiled.

Beguiler Be·guil"er noun One who, or that which, beguiles.

Beguiling Be·guil"ing adjective Alluring by guile; deluding; misleading; diverting. -- Be*guil"ing*ly , adverb

Beguin Be`guin" noun [ French] See Beghard .

Beguinage Be`gui`nage" noun [ French] A collection of small houses surrounded by a wall and occupied by a community of Beguines.

Beguine Be`guine" noun [ French béguine ; Late Latin beguina , beghina ; from Lambert le Bègue (the Stammerer) the founder of the order. ( Du Cange .)] A woman belonging to one of the religious and charitable associations or communities in the Netherlands, and elsewhere, whose members live in beguinages and are not bound by perpetual vows.

Begum Be"gum noun [ Persian , from Turk., perhaps properly queen mother, from Turk. beg (see Beg , noun ) + Arabic umm mother.] In the East Indies, a princess or lady of high rank. Malcom.

Begun Be·gun" past participle of Begin .

Behalf Be·half" noun [ Middle English on-behalve in the name of, bihalven by the side of, from Anglo-Saxon healf half, also side, part: akin to German halb half, halber on account of. See Be- , and Half , noun ] Advantage; favor; stead; benefit; interest; profit; support; defense; vindication.

In behalf of his mistress's beauty.
Sir P. Sidney.

Against whom he had contracted some prejudice in behalf of his nation.
Clarendon.

In behalf of , in the interest of. -- On behalf of , on account of; on the part of.

Behappen Be·hap"pen transitive verb To happen to. [ Obsolete]

Behave Be·have" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Behaved ; present participle & verbal noun Behaving .] [ Anglo-Saxon behabban to surround, restrain, detain (akin to German gehaben (obs.) to have, sich gehaben to behave or carry one's self); prefix be- + habban to have. See Have , transitive verb ] 1. To manage or govern in point of behavior; to discipline; to handle; to restrain. [ Obsolete]

He did behave his anger ere 't was spent.
Shak.

2. To carry; to conduct; to comport; to manage; to bear; -- used reflexively.

Those that behaved themselves manfully.
2 Macc. ii. 21.

Behave Be·have" intransitive verb To act; to conduct; to bear or carry one's self; as, to behave well or ill.

» This verb is often used colloquially without an adverb of manner; as, if he does not behave , he will be punished. It is also often applied to inanimate objects; as, the ship behaved splendidly.

Behavior Be·hav"ior noun Manner of behaving, whether good or bad; mode of conducting one's self; conduct; deportment; carriage; -- used also of inanimate objects; as, the behavior of a ship in a storm; the behavior of the magnetic needle.

A gentleman that is very singular in his behavior .
Steele.

To be upon one's good behavior , To be put upon one's good behavior , to be in a state of trial, in which something important depends on propriety of conduct. -- During good behavior , while (or so long as) one conducts one's self with integrity and fidelity or with propriety.

Syn. -- Bearing; demeanor; manner. -- Behavior , Conduct . Behavior is the mode in which we have or bear ourselves in the presence of others or toward them; conduct is the mode of our carrying ourselves forward in the concerns of life. Behavior respects our manner of acting in particular cases; conduct refers to the general tenor of our actions. We may say of soldiers, that their conduct had been praiseworthy during the whole campaign, and their behavior admirable in every instance when they met the enemy.

Behead Be·head" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Beheaded ; present participle & verbal noun Beheading .] [ Middle English bihefden , Anglo-Saxon beheáfdian ; prefix be- + heáfod head. See Head .] To sever the head from; to take off the head of.

Beheadal Be·head"al noun Beheading. [ Modern]

Beheld Be·held" imperfect & past participle of Behold .

Behemoth Be"he·moth noun [ Hebrew behemōth , from Egyptian P-ehe-maut hippopotamus.] An animal, probably the hippopotamus, described in Job xl. 15- 24.

Behen, Behn Be"hen, Behn noun [ Persian & Arabic bahman , behmen , an herb, whose leaves resemble ears of corn, saffron.] (Botany) (a) The Centaurea behen , or saw-leaved centaury. (b) The Cucubalus behen , or bladder campion, now called Silene inflata . (c) The Statice limonium , or sea lavender.

Behest Be·hest" noun [ Middle English biheste promise, command, Anglo-Saxon behǣs promise; prefix be- + hǣs command. See Hest , Hight .] 1. That which is willed or ordered; a command; a mandate; an injunction.

To do his master's high behest .
Sir W. Scott.

2. A vow; a promise. [ Obsolete]

The time is come that I should send it her, if I keep the behest that I have made.
Paston.

Behest Be·hest" transitive verb To vow. [ Obsolete] Paston.

Behete Be·hete" transitive verb See Behight . [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Behight Be·hight" transitive verb [ imperfect Behight ; past participle Behight , Behoten .] [ Middle English bihaten , Anglo-Saxon behātan to vow, promise; prefix be- + hātan to call, command. See Hight , v. ] [ Obsolete in all its senses.] 1. To promise; to vow.

Behight by vow unto the chaste Minerve.
Surrey.

2. To give in trust; to commit; to intrust.

The keys are to thy hand behight .
Spenser.

3. To adjudge; to assign by authority.

The second was to Triamond behight .
Spenser.

4. To mean, or intend.

More than heart behighteth .
Mir. for Mag.

5. To consider or esteem to be; to declare to be.

All the lookers-on him dead behight .
Spenser.

6. To call; to name; to address.

Whom . . . he knew and thus behight .
Spenser.

7. To command; to order.

He behight those gates to be unbarred.
Spenser.

Behight Be·hight" noun A vow; a promise. [ Obsolete] Surrey.

Behind Be·hind" preposition [ Anglo-Saxon behindan ; prefix be- + hindan . See Hind , adjective ] 1. On the side opposite the front or nearest part; on the back side of; at the back of; on the other side of; as, behind a door; behind a hill.

A tall Brabanter, behind whom I stood.
Bp. Hall.

2. Left after the departure of, whether this be by removing to a distance or by death.

A small part of what he left behind him.
Pope.

3. Left a distance by, in progress of improvement Hence: Inferior to in dignity, rank, knowledge, or excellence, or in any achievement.

I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.
2 Cor. xi. 5.

Behind Be·hind" adverb 1. At the back part; in the rear. "I shall not lag behind ." Milton.

2. Toward the back part or rear; backward; as, to look behind .

3. Not yet brought forward, produced, or exhibited to view; out of sight; remaining.

We can not be sure that there is no evidence behind .
Locke.

4. Backward in time or order of succession; past.

Forgetting those things which are behind .
Phil. ii. 13.

5. After the departure of another; as, to stay behind .

Leave not a rack behind .
Shak.

Behind Be·hind" noun The backside; the rump. [ Low]

Behindhand Be·hind"hand` adverb & adjective [ Behind + hand .]

1. In arrears financially; in a state where expenditures have exceeded the receipt of funds.

2. In a state of backwardness, in respect to what is seasonable or appropriate, or as to what should have been accomplished; not equally forward with some other person or thing; dilatory; backward; late; tardy; as, behindhand in studies or in work.

In this also [ dress] the country are very much behindhand .
Addison.

Behither Be·hith"er preposition On this side of. [ Obsolete]

Two miles behither Clifden.
Evelyn.

Behold Be·hold" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Beheld ( past participle formerly Beholden now used only as a p. adjective ); present participle & verbal noun Beholding .] [ Middle English bihalden , biholden , Anglo-Saxon behealdan to hold, have in sight; prefix be- + healdan to hold, keep; akin to German behalten to hold, keep. See Hold .] To have in sight; to see clearly; to look at; to regard with the eyes.

When he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
Num. xxi. 9.

Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
John. i. 29.

Syn. -- To scan; gaze; regard; descry; view; discern.

Behold Be·hold" intransitive verb To direct the eyes to, or fix them upon, an object; to look; to see.

And I beheld , and, lo, in the midst of the throne, . . . a lamb as it had been slain.
Rev. v. 6.

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