Prev Next

BEPEPPER, be-pep'[.e]r, _v.t._ to pelt with a rain of shot or of blows.

BEPESTER, be-pest'[.e]r, _v.t._ to vex or pester greatly.

BEPITY, be-pit'i, _v.t._ to pity greatly.

BEPLUMED, be-pl[=oo]md', _p.adj._ adorned with feathers.

BEPOMMEL, be-pom'el, _v.t._ to pommel soundly.

BEPOWDER, be-pow'd[.e]r, _v.t._ to powder over.

BEPRAISE, be-pr[=a]z', _v.t._ to praise extravagantly.

BEPROSE, be-pr[=o]z', _v.t._ to reduce to prose: to discuss in prose, and tediously.

BEPUFF, be-puf', _v.t._ to puff out: to praise beyond measure.

BEQUEATH, be-kw[=e]th', _v.t._ to leave personal property by will to another: to transmit to posterity, to leave behind: to commit or entrust to any one.--_adj._ BEQUEATH'ABLE.--_ns._ BEQUEATH'AL, BEQUEATH'MENT. [A.S.

_becwean_; pfx. _be-_,and _cwean_, to say. See QUOTH.]

BEQUEST, be-kwest', _n._ act of bequeathing: that which is bequeathed, a legacy. [M. E. _bi-queste_--A.S. _bi'-cwiss_; _bi'-_, a form of pfx. _be-_, _qithan_, to say. See QUOTH.]

BERATE, be-r[=a]t', _v.t._ (_U.S._) to scold or chide vigorously.

BERBER, b[.e]r'b[.e]r, _n._ and _adj._ a member of one of the Hamitic tribes inhabiting the mountainous regions of Barbary and the northern portions of the Great Desert, originally occupying the whole southern coast of the Mediterranean: the language spoken by the Berbers. [Derived by Barth either from the name of their supposed ancestor, _Ber_, which we recognise in the L. A_-fer_, an African; or from the Gr. and L. term _Barbari_.]

BERE, another spelling of BEAR, barley (q.v.).

BEREAN, b[=e]-r[=e]'an, _n._ one of an extinct Scottish sect of the 18th century, named from the people of _Berea_ (Acts, xvii. 11, who derived all knowledge of God from the Bible, but differed little from ordinary Calvinists.

BEREAVE, be-r[=e]v', _v.t._ to rob a person of anything valued: to leave destitute:--_pa.t._ and _pa.p._ bereaved'--the latter also BEREFT'.--_adj._ BEREAVED', robbed by death of some dear relative or friend.--_n._ BEREAVE'MENT, the fact or state of being so bereaved. [A.S. _bereafian_, to plunder. See REAVE.]

BERET, BERRET, b[.e]r'et, _n._ a flat woollen cap worn by the Basques.

[Fr.]

BERG, berg, _n._ a mass or mountain of ice.--_ns._ BERG'FALL, the fall of a mountain rock; BERG'FIELD, an expanse of ice covered with bergs. [See ICEBERG.]

BERGAMASK, b[.e]r'ga-mask, _adj._ of or pertaining to _Bergamo_, whose natives are clownish in manners and dialect.--_n._ a rustic dance of theirs.

BERGAMOT, b[.e]r'ga-mot, _n._ a kind of citron whose aromatic rind yields the well-known oil of Bergamot, used in making pomades, fragrant essences, eau de Cologne, liqueurs, &c.: the essence so extracted. [From the town of _Bergamo_.]

BERGAMOT, b[.e]r'ga-mot, _n._ a group of varieties of pear of fine flavour.

[Fr.--It.--Turk. _begarm[=u]di_.]

BERGMEHL, b[.e]rg'm[=a]l, _n._ a deposit of diatomaceous white earth or powder, that used in Norway to be mixed with flour and used as food. [Ger.

'mountain-flour.']

BERIBERI, ber'i-ber-i, _n._ an Eastern disease marked by anaemia, paralysis, and dropsical symptoms. [Singh.]

BERKELEIANISM, berk'l[=e]-an-izm, _n._ the philosophy of Bishop _Berkeley_ (1685-1753), who maintained that the world we see and touch is not an abstract independent substance, of which conscious mind may be an effect, but is the very world which is presented to our senses, and which depends for its actuality on being perceived.--_adj._ and _n._ BERKELEI'AN.

BERLIN, b[.e]r'lin, _n._ an old-fashioned four-wheeled covered carriage, with a seat behind covered with a hood--also BER'LINE.--BERLIN BLUE, Prussian blue; BERLIN WOOL, a fine dyed wool for worsted-work, knitting, &c.

BERM, b[.e]rm, _n._ a ledge: esp. a fortification. [Fr. _berme_; Ger.

_berme_.]

BERNARDINE, b[.e]r'nard-in, _adj._ Cistercian. [From St _Bernard_ of Clairvaux, founder of the order.]

BEROB, be-rob', _v.t._ (_Spens._) to rob or plunder.

BERRY, ber'i, _n._ a popular term for any small succulent fruit, but restricted in botanical language to simple fruits with pericarp succulent throughout, whether developed from superior (grape, potato, bitternut, belladonna, bryony, asparagus, tomato), or more commonly inferior ovary (gooseberry, currant, barberry, bilberry, &c.)--thus, strictly, the strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, are not berries.--_v.i._ to come into berry, to swell.--_adj._ BER'RIED, bearing berries. [A.S. _berie_.]

BERSAGLIERI, b[=a]r-sal-y[=a]'r[=e], _n.pl._ the riflemen or sharpshooters of the Italian army, first organised in the Sardinian army in 1836. [It.; pl. of _bersagliere_, _bersaglio_, a mark.]

BERSERK, -ER, b[.e]r'serk, -[.e]r, _n._ a Norse warrior whom the sight of the field of battle would fill with a frenzied and resistless fury--'the berserker rage.' [Ice. _berserkr_; Vigfusson explains the word as 'bear-sark,' and most probably a reference to the uncanny Werewolf superstition is involved.]

BERTH, b[.e]rth, _n._ a ship's station at anchor; a room or sleeping-place in a ship, a sleeping-carriage, &c.: any allotted or assigned place: a situation or place of employment, usually a comfortable one--even without such a qualifying adjective as 'a snug berth.'--_v.t._ to moor a ship: to furnish with a berth.--TO GIVE A WIDE BERTH TO, to keep well away from generally. [A doublet of BIRTH; from BEAR.]

BERYL, b[.e]r'il, _n._ a precious stone resembling the emerald, but colourless, yellowish, greenish yellow or blue--its finer varieties are called precious beryl, and sometimes aquamarine. It has important uses as a magic crystal in which the future becomes visible.--_adj._ beryl-like in colour. [O. Fr. _beryl_--L. _beryllus_--Gr. _b[=e]ryllos_.]

BESAINT, be-s[=a]nt', _v.t._ to make a saint of.--_pa.p._ BESAINT'ED, canonised: haunted with saints.

BESCATTER, be-skat'[.e]r, _v.t._ to scatter over.

BESCRAWL, be-skrawl', _v.t._ to scrawl or scribble over.

BESCREEN, be-skr[=e]n', _v.t._ to screen: to overshadow.

BESCRIBBLE, be-skrib'l, _v.t._ to write in a scribbling hand: to scribble about or upon.

BESEECH, be-s[=e]ch', _v.t._ to entreat, to implore (as a person, _for_ a thing, or _to do_ a thing): to ask or pray earnestly: to solicit--(_Spens._) BESEEKE':--_pa.t._ and _pa.p._ besought'.--_ns._ BESEECH'ER; BESEECH'ING.--_adv._ BESEECH'INGLY.--_ns._ BESEECH'INGNESS; BESEECH'MENT. [Pfx. _be-_, and M. E. _sechen_, to SEEK.]

BESEEM, be-s[=e]m', _v.t._ to be seemly or fit for: to become: to be fit for or worthy of: (_Spens._) to become or appear.--_ns._ BESEEM'ING, BESEEM'INGNESS--_adv._ BESEEM'INGLY.

BESEEN, be-s[=e]n', _pa.p._ of good appearance, comely: well furnished (with _well_).--BESEE' is quite obsolete.

BESET, be-set', _v.t._ to surround or set round with anything (now only in _pa.p._): to surround with hostile intentions, to besiege: to occupy so as to allow none to go out or in: to assail, perplex, endanger, as by temptations, obstacles, &c.:--_pr.p._ beset'ting; _pa.t._ and _pa.p._ beset'.--_ns._ BESET'MENT; BESET'TER.--_p.adj._ BESET'TING, that besets, as in 'besetting sin.'

BESHADOW, be-shad'[=o], _v.t._ to cast a shadow over.

BESHAME, be-sh[=a]m', _v.t._ to put to shame.

BESHINE, be-sh[=i]n', _v.i._ to light up.--_p.adj._ BESHONE'.

BESHREW, be-shr[=oo]', _v.t._ to invoke evil upon, to curse--now only in such mild imprecations as 'beshrew me,' or 'thee'--prob. not imperative but elliptical, like '(I) thank you.' [Pfx. _be-_, and SHREW.]

BESIDE, be-s[=i]d', _prep._ and _adv._ by the side of, near: over and above (in this sense, now usually BESIDES'), distinct from: apart from, not falling within, as of a question, resolution, &c.--BESIDE THE MARK, away from the mark aimed at, irrelevant.--TO BE BESIDE ONE'S SELF, to be out of one's senses. [M. E. _bi siden_--A.S. _be si'dan_, by the side (dat.).]

Report error

If you found broken links, wrong episode or any other problems in a anime/cartoon, please tell us. We will try to solve them the first time.

Email:

SubmitCancel

Share