Beholden Be·hold"en p. adjective [ Old past participle of behold , used in the primitive sense of the simple verb hold .] Obliged; bound in gratitude; indebted.

But being so beholden to the Prince.
Tennyson.

Beholder Be·hold"er noun One who beholds; a spectator.

Beholding Be·hold"ing adjective Obliged; beholden. [ Obsolete]

I was much bound and beholding to the right reverend father.
Robynson (More's Utopia).

So much hath Oxford been beholding to her nephews, or sister's children.
Fuller.

Beholding Be·hold"ing noun The act of seeing; sight; also, that which is beheld. Shak.

Beholdingness Be·hold"ing·ness noun , The state of being obliged or beholden. [ Obsolete] Sir P. Sidney.

Behoof Be·hoof" noun [ Middle English to bihove for the use of, Anglo-Saxon beh...f advantage, a word implied in beh...flīc necessary; akin to Swedish behof , Danish behov , German behuf , and English heave , the root meaning to seize , hence the meanings "to hold, make use of." See Heave , transitive verb ] Advantage; profit; benefit; interest; use.

No mean recompense it brings
To your behoof .
Milton.

Behoovable Be·hoov"a·ble adjective Supplying need; profitable; advantageous. [ Obsolete] Udall.

Behoove Be·hoove" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Behooved ; present participle & verbal noun Behooving .] [ Middle English bihoven , behoven , Anglo-Saxon beh...fian to have need of, from beh...f . See Behoof .] To be necessary for; to be fit for; to be meet for, with respect to necessity, duty, or convenience; -- mostly used impersonally.

And thus it behooved Christ to suffer.
Luke xxiv. 46.

[ Also written behove .]

Behoove Be·hoove" intransitive verb To be necessary, fit, or suitable; to befit; to belong as due. Chaucer.

Behoove Be·hoove" noun Advantage; behoof. [ Obsolete]

It shall not be to his behoove .
Gower.

Behooveful Be·hoove"ful adjective Advantageous; useful; profitable. [ Archaic] -- Be*hoove"ful*ly , adverb -- Be*hoove"ful*ness , noun [ Archaic]

Behove Be·hove" v. , and derivatives. See Behoove , &c.

Behovely Be·hove"ly adjective & adverb Useful, or usefully. [ Obsolete]

Behowl Be·howl" transitive verb To howl at. [ Obsolete]

The wolf behowls the moon.
Shak.

Beige Beige noun [ French] Debeige.

Beild Beild noun [ Prob. from the same root as build , transitive verb ] A place of shelter; protection; refuge. [ Scot. & Prov. Eng.] [ Also written bield and beeld .]

The random beild o' clod or stane.
Burns.

Being Be"ing present participle from Be . Existing.

» Being was formerly used where we now use having . " Being to go to a ball in a few days." Miss Edgeworth.

» In modern usage, is , are , was or were being , with a past participle following (as built , made , etc.) indicates the process toward the completed result expressed by the participle. The form is or was building , in this passive signification, is idiomatic, and, if free from ambiguity, is commonly preferable to the modern is or was being built . The last form of speech is, however, sufficiently authorized by approved writers. The older expression was is , or was , a-building or in building .

A man who is being strangled.
Lamb.

While the article on Burns was being written.
Froude.

Fresh experience is always being gained.
Jowett (Thucyd. )

Being Be"ing noun 1. Existence, as opposed to nonexistence; state or sphere of existence.

In Him we live, and move, and have our being .
Acts xvii. 28.

2. That which exists in any form, whether it be material or spiritual, actual or ideal; living existence, as distinguished from a thing without life; as, a human being ; spiritual beings .

What a sweet being is an honest mind !
Beau. & Fl.

A Being of infinite benevolence and power.
Wordsworth.

3. Lifetime; mortal existence. [ Obsolete]

Claudius, thou
Wast follower of his fortunes in his being .
Webster (1654).

4. An abode; a cottage. [ Prov. Eng.] Wright.

It was a relief to dismiss them [ Sir Roger's servants] into little beings within my manor.
Steele.

Being Be"ing adverb Since; inasmuch as. [ Obsolete or Colloq.]

And being you have
Declined his means, you have increased his malice.
Beau. & Fl.

Bejade Be·jade" transitive verb To jade or tire. [ Obsolete] Milton.

Bejape Be·jape" transitive verb To jape; to laugh at; to deceive. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Bejaundice Be·jaun"dice transitive verb To infect with jaundice.

Bejewel Be·jew"el transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Bejeweled or Bejewelled ; present participle & verbal noun Bejeweling or Bejewelling .] To ornament with a jewel or with jewels; to spangle. " Bejeweled hands." Thackeray.

Bejuco Be·ju"co noun [ Spanish , a reed or woody vine.] Any climbing woody vine of the tropics with the habit of a liane; in the Philippines, esp. any of various species of Calamus , the cane or rattan palm.

Bejumble Be·jum"ble transitive verb To jumble together.

Bekah Be"kah noun [ Hebrew ] Half a shekel.

Beknave Be·knave" transitive verb To call knave. [ Obsolete] Pope.

Beknow Be·know" transitive verb To confess; to acknowledge. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Bel Bel (bĕl) noun The Babylonian name of the god known among the Hebrews as Baal . See Baal . Baruch vi. 41.

Bel Bel noun [ Hind., from Sanskrit bilva .] A thorny rutaceous tree ( Ægle marmelos ) of India, and its aromatic, orange-like fruit; -- called also Bengal quince , golden apple , wood apple . The fruit is used medicinally, and the rind yields a perfume and a yellow dye.

Bel-accoyle Bel`-ac·coyle" noun [ French bel beautiful + accueil reception.] A kind or favorable reception or salutation. [ Obsolete]

Bel-esprit Bel"-es·prit" noun ; plural Beaux -esprits [ French, fine wit.] A fine genius, or man of wit. "A man of letters and a bel esprit ." W. Irving.

Belabor Be·la"bor transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Belabored ; present participle & verbal noun Belaboring .] 1. To ply diligently; to work carefully upon. "If the earth is belabored with culture, it yieldeth corn." Barrow.

2. To beat soundly; to cudgel.

Ajax belabors there a harmless ox.
Dryden.

Belace Be·lace" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Belaced ]

1. To fasten, as with a lace or cord. [ Obsolete]

2. To cover or adorn with lace. [ Obsolete] Beaumont.

3. To beat with a strap. See Lace . [ Obsolete] Wright.

Belam Be·lam" transitive verb [ See Lam .] To beat or bang. [ Prov. & Low, Eng.] Todd.

Belamour Bel"a·mour noun [ French bel amour fair love.] 1. A lover. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

2. A flower, but of what kind is unknown. [ Obsolete]

Her snowy brows, like budded belamours .
Spenser.

Belamy Bel"a·my noun [ French bel ami fair friend.] Good friend; dear friend. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Belate Be·late" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Belated ; present participle & verbal noun Belating .] To retard or make too late. Davenant.

Belated Be·lat"ed adjective Delayed beyond the usual time; too late; overtaken by night; benighted. "Some belated peasant." Milton. -- Be*lat"ed*ness , noun Milton.

Belaud Be·laud" transitive verb To laud or praise greatly.

Belay Be·lay" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Belaid , Belayed ; present participle & verbal noun Belaying .] [ For senses 1 & 2, Dutch beleggen to cover, belay; akin to E. prefix be- , and lay to place: for sense 3, Middle English beleggen , Anglo-Saxon belecgan . See prefix Be- , and Lay to place.] 1. To lay on or cover; to adorn. [ Obsolete]

Jacket . . . belayed with silver lace.
Spenser.

2. (Nautical) To make fast, as a rope, by taking several turns with it round a pin, cleat, or kevel. Totten.

3. To lie in wait for with a view to assault. Hence: to block up or obstruct. [ Obsolete] Dryden.

Belay thee! Stop.

Belaying pin Be·lay"ing pin` (be*lā"ĭng pĭn`). (Nautical) A strong pin in the side of a vessel, or by the mast, round which ropes are wound when they are fastened or belayed.

Belch Belch (bĕlch; 224) transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Belched (bĕlcht); present participle & verbal noun Belching .] [ Middle English belken , Anglo-Saxon bealcan , akin to English bellow . See Bellow , intransitive verb ] 1. To eject or throw up from the stomach with violence; to eruct.

I belched a hurricane of wind.
Swift.

2. To eject violently from within; to cast forth; to emit; to give vent to; to vent.

Within the gates that now
Stood open wide, belching outrageous flame.
Milton.

Belch Belch intransitive verb 1. To eject wind from the stomach through the mouth; to eructate.

2. To issue with spasmodic force or noise. Dryden.

Belch Belch noun 1. The act of belching; also, that which is belched; an eructation.

2. Malt liquor; -- vulgarly so called as causing eructation. [ Obsolete] Dennis.

Belcher Belch"er noun One who, or that which, belches.

Beldam, Beldame Bel"dam, Bel"dame noun [ Prefix bel- , denoting relationship + dame mother: confer French belledame fair lady, Italian belladonna . See Belle , and Dame .]

1. Grandmother; -- corresponding to belsire.

To show the beldam daughters of her daughter.
Shak.

2. An old woman in general; especially, an ugly old woman; a hag.

Around the beldam all erect they hang.
Akenside.

Beleaguer Be·lea"guer transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Beleaguered ; present participle & verbal noun Beleaguering .] [ Dutch belegeren (akin to German belagern , Swedish belägra , Danish beleire ); prefix be- = English be- + leger bed, camp, army, akin to English lair . See Lair .] To surround with an army so as to preclude escape; to besiege; to blockade.

The wail of famine in beleaguered towns.
Longfellow.

Syn. -- To block up; environ; invest; encompass.

Beleaguerer Be·lea"guer·er noun One who beleaguers.

Beleave Be·leave" transitive verb & i. [ imperfect & past participle Beleft ] To leave or to be left. [ Obsolete] May.

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