BEGUILE, be-g[=i]l', _v.t._ to cheat or deceive: to divert attention from anything tedious or painful: to divert or amuse: to wile any one into some course.--_ns._ BEGUILE'MENT; BEGUIL'ER.--_adv._ BEGUIL'INGLY. [See GUILE.]
BEGUINES, beg'in (see BEG).--_n._ BEGUINAGE (beg'in-[=a]j), an establishment for _Beguines_.
BEGUM, b[=e]'gum, _n._ a Hindu princess or lady of rank. [Urdu _begam_.]
BEGUN, be-gun', _pa.p._ of BEGIN.
BEHALF, be-haf', _n._ favour or benefit: cause: sake, account: part--only in phrases 'on,' 'in behalf of,' 'on his behalf.' [M. E. _behalve_--A.S.
_be healfe_, by the side. See HALF.]
BEHAPPEN, be-hap'n, _v.t._ (_Spens._) to happen to.
BEHAVE, be-h[=a]v', _v.t._ to bear or carry, to conduct (with _self_).--_v.i._ to conduct one's self, also to conduct one's self well: to act.--_n._ BEHAVIOUR (be-h[=a]v'yur), conduct: manners or deportment, esp.
good manners: general course of life: treatment of others.--TO BE UPON ONE'S BEHAVIOUR, to be placed where one's best behaviour is politic or necessary. [Formed, according to Dr Murray, in 15th century from _be-_ and HAVE; apparently unconnected with A.S. _behabban_.]
BEHEAD, be-hed', _v.t._ to cut off the head.--_ns._ BEHEAD'AL (_rare_); BEHEAD'ING, the act of cutting off the head.
BEHELD, be-held', _pa.t._ and _pa.p._ of BEHOLD.
BEHEMOTH, b[=e]'he-moth, _n._ an animal described in the book of Job, usually taken to be the hippopotamus. [Either the pl. of Heb. _behemah_, a beast, or a Hebraistic form of the Egyptian _p-ehe-mout_, 'water-ox.']
BEHEST, be-hest', _n._ command: charge. [A.S. _beh['ae]s_, a promise. See HEST.]
BEHIGHT, be-h[=i]t', _v.t._ (_Spens._) to promise, to entrust, to speak to, to command, to reckon or esteem to be:--_pr.p._ beh[=i]ght'ing; _pa.t._ beh[=o]te'; _pa.p._ beh[=i]ght.--_n._ (_obs._) a vow, a promise. [A.S.
_behatan_, _be-_, and _hatan_, to call.]
BEHIND, be-h[=i]nd', _prep._ at the back of (_place_, or as _support_): remaining after or coming after (_time_, _rank_, _order_): inferior to, or not so far advanced as.--_adv._ at the back, in the rear: backward: past.--_adj._ or _adv._ BEHIND'HAND, being behind: tardy, or in arrears of debt, &c.: clandestine. [A.S. _behindan_; Ger. _hinten_. See HIND.]
BEHOLD, be-h[=o]ld', _v.t._ to look upon: to contemplate.--_v.i._ to look: to fix the attention:--_pa.t._ and _pa.p._ beheld'.--_imper._ or _interj._ see! lo! observe!--_adj._ BEHOLD'EN, bound in gratitude: obliged (with _to_).--_n._ BEHOLD'ER, one who beholds: an onlooker.--_adj._ BEHOLD'ING (_Shak._), beholden.--_n._ (_Shak._) sight, contemplation. [A.S.
_behealdan_, to hold, observe--pfx. _be-_, and _healdan_, to hold.]
BEHOOF, be-h[=oo]f', _n._ benefit: convenience (with _to_, _for_, _on_).
BEHOT, BEHOTE (_Spens._) _pa.t._ of BEHIGHT.
BEHOVE, BEHOOVE, be-h[=oo]v, _v.t._ to be fit, right, or necessary for--now only used impersonally with _it_.--_adj._ BEHOVE'FUL, useful: profitable.--_adv._ BEHOVE'FULLY (_obs._). [M. E. _behof_, dat. behove; A.S. _behofian_, to be fit, to stand in need of.]
BEHOWL, be-howl', _v.t._ (_Shak._) to howl at. Warburton first suggested this as an emendation for 'behold' in _Midsummer Night's Dream_, V. 379.
BEIGE, b[=a]zh, _n._ a woollen fabric made of undyed wool. [Fr.]
BEIN, b[=e]n, _adj._ and _adv._ (_Scot._) comfortable: well off: well found: (_slang_) good.--_n._ BEIN'NESS. [M. E. _bene_, of dubious origin; the derivation has been sought in Scand. _beinn_, or in L. _bene_, Fr.
_bien_.]
BEING, b[=e]'ing, _n._ existence: substance: essence: any person or thing existing.--_adj._ B[=E]'ING, existing, present.--_adj._ B[=E]'INGLESS.--_n._ B[=E]'INGNESS. [From the _pr.p._ of BE.]
BEINKED, b[=e]-inkt', _p.adj._ smeared with ink.
BEJADE, be-j[=a]d', _v.t._ (_obs._) to tire out.
BEJAN, b[=e]'jan, _n._ a freshman at the universities of Aberdeen and St Andrews, and formerly in several continental universities. [Fr. _bejaune_, a novice, from _bec jaune_, 'yellow beak,' a term used for a nestling or unfledged bird.]
BEJESUIT, be-j[.e]z'[=u]-it, _v.t._ to initiate or seduce into Jesuitism.
BEJEWEL, be-j[=oo]'[.e]l, _v.t._ to deck with jewels.
BEKAH, b[=e]'ka, _n._ (_B._) a half-shekel (4.39 drs. avoir.). [Heb.]
BEKISS, be-kis', _v.t._ to cover with kisses.
BEKNAVE, be-n[=a]v', _v.t._ to call or treat as a knave.
BEKNOWN, b[=e]-n[=o]n', _p.adj._ known, acquainted.
BELABOUR, be-l[=a]'bur, _v.t._ to beat soundly.
BEL-ACCOYLE, bel-ak-koil', _n._ (_Spens._) favourable or kind reception.
[O. Fr. _bel acoil_, fair welcome. See ACCOIL.]
BELACE, be-l[=a]s', _v.t._ to adorn with lace.
BELAMOUR, bel'a-m[=oo]r, _n._ (_Spens._) a gallant: a fair lady: a kind of flower. [Fr. _bel amour_, fair love.]
BELAMY, bel'a-mi, _n._ (_Spens._) a good or intimate friend. [Fr. _bel ami_, fair friend.]
BELATE, be-l[=a]t', _v.t._ to make late: to retard:--_pr.p._ bel[=a]t'ing; _pa.p._ bel[=a]t'ed.--_p.adj._ BEL[=A]T'ED, made too late: out of date: benighted.--_n._ BEL[=A]T'EDNESS.
BELAUD, be-lawd', _v.t._ to laud or praise highly.
[Illustration]
BELAY, be-l[=a]', _v.t._ (_naut._) to fasten a running rope by coiling it round a cleat or BELAY'ING-PIN: to make fast: (_Spens._) to lay ornament round anything.--BELAY THERE (_naut. slang_), hold! that is enough. [A.S.
_belecgan_; Ger. _belegen_, Dut. _beleggen_. See LAY.]
BELCH, belch, belsh, _v.t._ to void wind from the stomach by the mouth: to eject violently: to cast up, as of the smoke from a volcano or a cannon.--_n._ eructation. [A.S. _bealcian_; Dut. _balken_.]
BELCHER, bel'sher, _n._ a neckerchief with dark-blue ground, mottled with white spots, each having a dark-blue spot in the centre. [From Jim _Belcher_, a famous English boxer.]
BELDAM, BELDAME, bel'dam, _n._ an old woman, esp. an ugly one: a hag, a furious woman: (_obs._) a grandmother. [Formed from _dam_, mother, and _bel-_, expressing relationship. Cf. _belsire_.]
BELEAGUER, be-l[=e]g'[.e]r, _v.t._ to lay siege to.--_n._ BELEAG'UERMENT.
[Dut. _belegeren_, to besiege--_be_, and _leger_, camp. See LEAGUER.]
BELEE, be-l[=e]', _v.t._ (_Shak._) to place on the lee-side of.
BELEMNITE, bel'em-n[=i]t, _n._ a fossil pointed like a dart, being the internal shell of a genus of cephalopods, formerly known as _Thunder-bolt_, _Thunder-stone_, _Elf-bolt_. [Gr. _belemnit[=e]s_--_belemnon_, a dart.]
BELFRY, bel'fri, _n._ the part of a steeple or tower in which bells are hung: a bell-tower, sometimes standing apart: a movable wooden tower, used in the Middle Ages in attacking a fortification.--_adj._ BEL'FRIED, having a belfry. [Orig. and properly a watch-tower, from O. Fr. _berfroi_--Mid.
High Ger. _berchfrit_--_frid_, _frit_, a tower, _bergan_, to protect.]