bekko-ware 
bekko-Ware (bek'o-war), M. [< Jap. bclclco, tor- 
toise-shell (< Chinese kwei, tortoise, + kin. IT- 
iiinr), + ware-.] A kind of pottery anciently 
made in Japan, imitating COltoise-chell, or 
veined with green, yellow, and brown. 
beknave (be-naV), v. t. ; pret. and pp. In - 
kitavi-il, ppr.'brkimriiii/. [< In-- 1 + knurr.} To 
call (one) a knave. [Bare.] 
Tin- lawyer bekiuiri-x the divine. <j>i>i. IVL'L'ai -'s Opera. 
beknight (be-mf), ' [< be- 1 + knight.] 1. 
To make a knight of. [Rare.] 
Tin- lu-t ii,l,ni : ililfit booliy. 7". //>*-. 
2. To address as a knight, or by the title Sir. 
beknit (be-uit'), v. t. |< tc-i + <;/.] To knit; 
girdle or encircle. 
HIT (llthy anus h,-knit with snakes nhniit. 
Goldin;!. ti'. ot" oviils Mi-tamurpli. (Onl MS.). 
beknotted (be-not 'ed), a. [< ftr-1 4- knotted.] 
Knotted again and again; covered with knots. 
beknottedness (be-not'ed-nes), n. In math., 
the degree of complication of a knot ; the num- 
ber of times that it is necessary to pass one 
part of the curve of the knot projected upon 
a plane through another in order to untie the 
. knot. 
beknOWt (be-no'), V. t. [< ME. lii-kiiniriii. hi- 
kiioircn, < AS. becnaii'ait, know, < be- + rniiir- 
an, know: see be- 1 and kitoia.] 1. To know; 
recognize. 2. To acknowledge; own; con- 
fess. Ayenbyte of Inwyt (1340, ed. Morris), 
lutr I dare not bcknuitt' mill owcn NJUIH-. 
Chaucer, Knight's Tale, 1. 698. 
bel't, [Early mod. E. also bell; < ME. bele, 
bel-, < OF. (and mod. F.) bel, beau, fern, belle, < 
L. bclliig, fair, fine, beautiful: see beau, beauti/, 
6fB,etc.] 1. Fair; fine: beautiful. 2. [Lit. 
fair, good, as in beausire, fair sir, beaupere, good 
father, used in F. and ME. to indicate indirect 
or adopted secondary relationship ; so in mod. 
F. beau- as a formative in relation-names, 
'step-', '-in-law'; ME. bel-, 'grand-', as in bel- 
dame, grandmother, belsire, grandfather, also 
with purely E. names, belmoder, belfader, and 
lateTbelchild. Of. Sc. and North. E. goodnmtln / . 
goodt'ather, etc., mother-in-law, father-in-law, 
etc.] Grand-: a formative in relation-names, 
as belsire, grandfather, beldam, grandmother, 
etc. See etymology. 
Bel 2 (bel), n. Same as Belus. 
bel 3 (bel), n. [Also written, less prop., bhel, 
bael, repr. Hind, bel.] The East Indian name 
of the Bengal quince-tree, Mgle Marmelos. See 
.Kyle, 1. 
bela (be'la), n. [Hind.] The Hindustani name 
of a species of jasmin, Jasminunt tiambac, which 
is often cultivated for its very fragrant flowers. 
belabor, belabour (be-la'bor), . t. [< be- 1 
+ labor.] If. To work hard upon ; ply dili- 
gently. 
If the earth is belaboured with culture, it yleldeth corn. 
Barrow, Works, III. xviii. 
2. To beat soundly ; thump. 
They so cudgelled and belabored him bodily that he 
might perhaps have lost his life in the encounter had he 
not been protected by the more respectable portion of the 
assembly. Motley, Dutch Republic, I. 545. 
bel-accqilt, bel-accoylet (bel-a-koil'), n. [< OF. 
bel acoil, fair welcome: see bel 1 and accoil.] 
Kindly greeting or reception. Spenser. 
belace 1 (he-las'), . t. [< be- 1 + lace.] 1. To 
fasten as with a lace or cord. 2. To adorn 
with lace. 
When thou in thy bravest 
And most belaced servitude dost strut, 
Some newer fashion doth usurp. 
J. Beaumont, Psyche, xvi. 10. 
3f. To beat ; whip. Wright. 
belace 2 t, ' * An error (by misprint or con- 
fusion with belace 1 ) in Bailey and subsequent 
dictionaries for belage or belay. See belage. 
belacedness ( be-la' sed-nes), .. In math., the 
number of times one branch of a lacing must 
be passed through another to undo it. 
beladle (be-la'dl), <. t. [< 6e-i + ladle.] To 
pour out with a ladle ; ladle out. 
The honest masters of the roast beladling the dripping. 
Thackeray. 
belady (be-la'di), r. t. ; pret. and pp. beladied, 
ppr. brlmii/ing. [< be- 1 + lady; cf. belord, be- 
grace, beknight.] To address by the title Lady, 
or the phrase "my lady." 
belaget, i'. [Either a misprint for belaye, belay, 
or less prob. a phonetic variant of that word 
(ME. beleggen, etc.): see belay.] Naut., to be- 
lay. HW0fp(1678); Kersey. 
belam (be-lam'), 1. 1. [< Ix-- 1 + lam] To beat; 
bang. Sherwood. [North. Eng.] 
511 
belamourt (bera-raOr), . [Also brllamour, < 
F. lii-l iniitiitr, lit. fair love: see bel 1 and amour] 
1. A giillant ; a consort. 
Lew, lur ! liuw luavi- sin- ili'i-lis ln-r bounteous l.oun- 
With silkin rnrti-ns anil ^--M i nurli IK 
TIuTt'ill to shrowil IHT sumptuous r,<-htinin-'-. 
.V"-' 1 , I . <>.. n. vl. n;. 
2. An old name for a flower which cannot now 
be identified. 
HIT snowy lii-uwes, lyke budded Jlfl/atnouret. 
Spi-ii- r, > 'i*, l\iv. 
belamyt d-l'a-mi), . [Early mod. E., also 
In //iniii/. < .\ll-l. IH-IIIIHI/, In /iinii, < OF. bel mm. 
fair friend: see bfl 1 and amy.] Good friend; 
fair friend : used principally in address. 
Thou bi-laini/, thou jianloniT. In- seyde. 
l'h<n"-:-i\ I'rul. to I'anli'litT s Tali-, 1. .'i'J. 
Nav, Ifllinini, thou bus linnet] In- smytte. 
Yiirk J'la>/x, p. 391. 
His dearest Delam'i. ,s/-r, F. Q., II. vil. 52. 
belandre (be-lan'dcr; P. pron. ba-londr'), . 
| F..< 1>. liij/muli ;-, whence also E. bilantler, q. v.] 
A small flat-bottomed craft, used principally on 
the rivers, canals, and roadsteads of France, 
belate (be-laf), v. t. [< 6e-l + late.] To re- 
turd; make late; benight. 
Thr luoni is young, quoth he, 
A little time to old reiiK-iiil'i-aiii-i- ;:iven 
Will nut iii'hit:' us. Smtthey, Madoc, I. 10. 
belated (be-la'ted), p. a. Coming or staying 
too late ; o'vertaken by lateness, especially at 
night; benighted; 1 delayed. 
Faery elves, 
Whose midnight revels, by a forest side, 
Or fountain, gome belated peasant sees. 
Milton, P. L., L 783. 
Who were the parties? who inspected? who contested 
this belated account? Burke, Nabob of Arcot's Debts. 
belatedness (be-la'ted-nes), . [< belated, pp. 
of belate, + -ness.] The state of being belated, 
or of being too late ; slowness ; backwardness. 
That you may see I am sometimes suspicious of myself, 
and do take notice of a certain belatedness in me, I am 
the bolder to send you some of my nightward thoughts. 
.Villon, Letter in Birch s Life. 
belaud (be-lud'), r. t. [< 6e-l + laud.] To 
load with praise; laud highly. 
[Volumes] which were commended by divines from pul- 
pits, and belauded all Europe over. 
Thackeray, Virginians, xxvi. 
belave (be-lav'), r. t. [< ME. bilaren, bathe, < 
bi-, be- + laren, lave: see ft?- 1 and lave^.] To 
lave about; wash all over; wash. 
belawgivet (be-la'giv), v. t. [A forced word, 
used only in tie passage from Milton, < be- 1 + 
*tawgive, assumed from lawgiver.] To give a 
law to. 
The Holy One of Israel hath belawgimn his own people 
with this very allowance. Milton, Divorce. 
belay (be-la'), v. t. [< ME. beleggen, bileggen, < 
AS. belecgan, lay upon, cover, charge (= D. be- 
leggen, cover, overlay; as a naut. term, belay; 
= OHG. bilegen, MHG. G. belegen), < be-, about, 
around, by, 4- lecgan, lay. The naut. use is 
perhaps due to the D. In the sense of 'sur- 
round,' cf. beleaguer.] If. To surround; en- 
viron; inclose. 2f. To overlay; adorn. 
All in a woodman's jacket he was clad 
Of Lincolne greene, belayd with silver lace. 
$penner, F. Q., VI. U. 5. 
3f. To besiege; invest; surround. 
Gaynst such strong castles needeth greater might 
Then those small forts which ye were wont belay. 
Spenser, Sonnets, xiv. 
So when Arabian thieves belayed us round. 
Sandyn, Hymn to God. 
4f. To lie in wait for in order to attack; hence, 
to block up or obstruct. 
The speedy horse all passages May. 
Dryden, .ttneid, ix. 
6. Naut., to fasten, or make fast, by winding 
round a belaying- 
pin, cleat, or cavel : 
applied chiefly to 
running rigging. 
When we belayed the 
halyards, there was no- 
thing left but the bolt- 
rope. 
/{. //. Dana, Jr., Before 
[the Mast, p. 25B. 
belaying-bitt (be- 
la'ing-bit), n. Any 
bitt to which a rope 
can be belaved. 
Belaytng-pins in rail, with ropes be- 
layed on them. 
belaying-pin (be-la 'ing-pin), . Xaut., a 
wooden or iron pin to which running rigging 
may be belayed. 
beleave 
belch (belch), r. [Early mod. }',., also bclche, 
linrln: < .MK. lull-In n. :r-Mliilal>-il form of early 
mod. E. and E.diiil. (north.) lull;, < MK. Inlki-ii, 
< AS. hiili-iini. In nli-iini, also with added fonua- 
I ivi-. In n/i-r/tmi. beli'h, ejaculate ; allied to biillc- 
aini /(//,-, all |>rnb. nil. imitativi- : see ///.-, hidk-, 
'<"'/.'.] I. iiili-niix. 1. Toejeet \vindnoisilyfrom 
tin- stiimarh through the mouth; eructate. 
All raili.-ln-s liri-i-ii winil. . . . and pr-'Voki- a man ttiat 
l-atrlh tln-ni I" '"'-'A. Uullini'l. ir. '.I I'liny, \iv. ... 
2. To issue nut. as with eructation: as, "//<//- 
in;/ llallles,'' Ill'i/ili it. 
II. trim*. 1. To throw or eject from the 
stomach with violence; eim-tate. 
lli-lfliiii'f ia -i>l.ln i- Hum his maw. 
AdtOton, .Kii.-i.l. iii. 
2. To eject violently from within ; cast forth. 
Tin- uati-i. that now 
StiMiil open wide, uekhiiuj outrageous flame. 
BUton, r. I,., x. 282. 
Though hi-a\i-n ilrop.tiilpliur, and lull il<-h i>nt lire. 
/;. ./niumn, Kejanus, ii. 2. 
3. To ejaculate; vent with vehemence: often 
with out: as, to belch out blasphemies; to belch 
out one's fury. 
belch (belch), . l<b,-i,-h,r.] 1. The act of 
throwing out from the stomach or from within ; 
eructation. 2f. A cant name for malt liquor, 
from its causing belching. 
A sndili-ii n-fiTiiiittioii woiilil Mlnw among all surfs of 
people ; porters would no longer In- drunk with belch. 
Denni*. 
belcher 1 (bel'cher), n. One who belches. 
belcher'-' (bel'cher), n. [So called from an 
English pugilist named Jim Belcher.] A neck- 
erchief with darkish-blue ground and large 
white spots with a dark-blue spot in the center 
of each. [Slang.] 
belchildt (bel'child), n. ; pi. belchildren (-chiF- 
dren). [< bel-, grand-, as in beldam, belsire, 
etc. (see bel 1 ), + child.] A grandchild. 
To Thomas Doubledaye and Katherine his wife, my 
daughter, a cowe. To their children, my belchildren. etc. 
H ill of 1564, quoted iu N. and Q., 7th ser., III. 77. 
beldam, beldame (bel'dam, -dam), n. [< ME. 
beldam, beldame, only in sense of grandmother 
(correlative to belsire, grandfather), < ME. bel-, 
grand-, as in belsire, etc. (see bel 1 ), + dame, 
mother. The word was thus in E. use lit. 'good 
mother,' used distinctively for grandmother, 
not as in F. belle dame, lit. fair lady: see bel 1 , 
belle, and dame.] If. Grandmother: corre- 
sponding to belsire, grandfather : sometimes 
applied to a great-grandmother. 
To show the beldame daughters of her daughter. 
Sliak., Lucrece, 1. 953. 
2. An old woman in general, especially an ugly 
old woman ; a hag. 
Around the beldam all erect they hang. Akenside. 
Our witches are no longer old 
And wrinkled beldames, Satan-sold. 
Whittier, New-England Legend. 
3f. [A forced use of the P. belle dame.] Fair 
dame or lady. Spenser. 
beleadt, r. t. [< ME. beleden, < AS. beUedan, < be- 
+ Ionian, lead: see 6e-!and lead 1 .] 1. To lead 
away. 2. To lead; conduct. 
beleaguer (be-le'ger), v. t. [< D. belegeren, be- 
siege ( = G. oelayern = Sw. belagra = Dan. be- 
la;gre, also belejre, perhaps < D. belegeren), < 
be- + leger, a camp, encamping army, place to 
lie down, a bed (= E. lair and layer = G. lager, 
a camp, = Sw. Idger, a bed, etc.): see be- 1 and 
leaguer, ledger, lair, layer, lager.] To besiege; 
surround with an army so as to preclude es- 
cape; blockade. 
The Trojan camp, then beleaguered by Turnus and the 
Latins. Dryden, tr. of Dufresnoy. 
= Syn. To invest, lay siege to, beset. 
beleaguerer (be-le'ger-er), . One who be- 
leaguers or besieges ; a besieger. 
O'er the walls 
The wild beleaijuerers broke, and, one by one, 
The strongholds of the plain were forced. 
Bryant, The Prairies. 
beleaguerment (be-le'ger-ment), . [< be- 
leaguer + -ment.] The act of beleaguering, or 
the state of being beleaguered. 
Fair, fickle, courtly France, . . . 
Shattered by hard Meairtteniient, and wild ire, 
That sacked and set her palaces on tire. 
Ji. H. Sloddard, Guests of State. 
beleavet (be-leV), v. [< ME. beleven, bilcren, 
etc., also by syncope bleven, leave, intrans. 
remain, < AS. beliefnn, leave, < be- + latfan, 
leave; prop, the causal of belire 1 , q. v. See be- 1 
and leave 1 .] I. trans. To leave behind ; aban- 
don ; let go. 
There was nothyuge belefte. Qoteer, Cunt. Aiuant, ii 
