benefit 
or tiling; a particular kind of good receivable 
or received. 
Men have no right to what is not for tln-ir I- 
llurkf. 
Tin- Iteiii'Jttx of affection an- immense. 
Kin'-i-snii. Society anil Solitude. 
Certain h> n>'tit* arise [to herbivorous iiniinalsl from liv 
ing together. //. N/'<v/-, Prin. of Psychol., f 603. 
4f. Bestowal, as of property, office, etc., out of 
good will, grace, or favor; liberality; gene- 
rosity. 
Either accept the title tluui usurp st, 
Of beii'-ii/ pro< -eeiliM;,' frnm our kiim, 
And not of any challenge of desert. 
ii u r uill plagne thee with incessant wars. 
Shut... 1 Hen. VI.. V. 4 
5. A performance at a theater or other phiee 
of public entertainment, the proceeds of which 
go to one or more of the actors, some indigent 
or deserving person, some charitable institu- 
tion, or the like. In Great Britain also called 
;i ln-xpi-iik. 6. A natural advantage; einlou 
incut : accomplishment. [Rare.] 
Look vim lisp and wear strange suit* ; disable [under- 
value! all the beiujiti of your own country. 
tihnk.. As you Like it, iv. 1. 
When these so noble benefit* shall prove 
Not well dispos'd, the mind growing once corrupt, 
They turn to vicious forms. Sliak., Hen. VIII., t. 2. 
Benefit of clergy, in Ian: See <-I,T : III. Benefit of dis- 
cussion. Sec iii'sritxfi'iiii. -Benefit of Inventory, see 
fur. -iitui-ii. Benefit play, u play acted for some one's 
benefit or advantage. Benefit society, a friendly so- 
ciety. See friendly. Benefit ticket, a winning ticket 
at a lottery. By the benefit OH, l>y the kindness or 
favor of; by the help of. = Syn. 2 and 3. Advantage, 
/.' '"'/'', etc. (see advantage), service, gain, good, avail, use. 
benefit (ben'e-iit), v. [< benefit, n.] I. traits. 
1 . To do good to ; be of service to ; advantage : 
as, exercise benefits health ; trade benefits a na- 
tion. 
What course I mean to hold 
Shall nothing benefit your knowledge. 
Sttak., \V. T., Iv. 3. 
2. Same as beneficiate, 2. 
These ores [silver] on account of the scarcity of water 
cannot be benefited in Catorce. 
If. S. Cons. Rep., No. Ixvii. (1886), p. 619. 
II. in trans. To gain advantage; make im- 
provement: as, he has benefited by good ad- 
vice. 
To tell yon what I have benefited herein. 
Milton, Education. 
Each, therefore, benefits egoistically by such altruism 
as aids in raising the average intelligence. 
H. Spencer, Data of Ethics, 78. 
benegrot (be-ne'gro), v. t. [< be-'i + negro.] 
1 . To render dark ; blacken. 
The sun shall be benegroed in darkness. 
Heuryt, Sermons, p. 79. 
2. To people with negroes. Sir T. Browne. 
benemptt. Obsolete preterit and past partici- 
ple otbename. 
beneplacitt, a. and . [< LL. beneplacitus, pleas- 
ing, acceptable, pp. of beneplacere, please, < 
bene, well, + placere, please : see please.] I. a. 
Well pleased ; satisfied. 
God's Beneplacite wil, commonly stiled his wil of good 
pleasure, ... is that whereby he decrees, effects or per- 
mits al events & effects. Gale, Works, III. 18. (X. E. D.) 
H. n. [< LL. beneplacitiim, good pleasure, 
will, decree, neut. of beneplacitus, pleasing, ac- 
ceptable : see I. Cf. placittim, pleasure, what is 
decreed, neut. otplacitus, pp. of placers, please.] 
Good pleasure ; will ; choice. Sir T. Browne. 
bene placito (ba'ne plii'che-to). [It. : bene, < 
L. bene (see bene-) ; placito, < L. placitttm : see 
In in/ilacit.] In music, at pleasure. 
beneplacituret, [< beneplacit + -ure.] Same 
as beneplacit. 
Hath he by his holy penmen told us, that either of the 
other ways was more suitable to his beneplacituret 
Glanville, Preexistence of Souls, iv. 
benetH (be-nef), v. t. [< 6e-i + neft.] To 
catch in a net ; insnare. 
Being thus benetted round with villains. 
Shak., Hamlet, v. 2. 
benet?t (ben'et), n. [< ME. benet, < OF. beneit, 
mod. F. beni, < LL. benedictus, blessed: see 
lii-iiriliet.] In the Rom. Cath. Ch., an exorcist, 
the third of the four lesser orders. 
benevolence (be-ncv'o-lens), . [< ME. benev- 
i>li IH-I-, bi-nirolriifi; < OF. hriiiroleuce (vernacu- 
larly bienroillanef, liicnrimillinicc, mod. F. bien- 
rril'lanrc), < L. benevolentia, < benerolen(t-)s, 
well-wishing: see benevolent.] 1. The disposi- 
tion to do good ; the love of mankind, accom- 
panied with a desire to promote their happi- 
ness; goodwill; kindness; charitableness. 
525 
The man whom benevolent:!' warms 
Is an angel who lives but to bless. 
l;l"<>nijirlil, iiaiiks of Wye. 
< if another saint it is recorded that his benevftlence was 
,neh that he "a* never known to be hard or inhuman to 
any one except his relation-. /.. '(-,/. Ijirop. Morals, II. 144. 
2. An act of kindness; good done; charity 
given. 
The ('olirtiiT nei-ii-s nil!*! i'rt ulnpeni eil hee 
With !1 Il-'HI'\-n!< -m'>. 
dfOUer, Mother Hull. Tale, I. .Mil. 
That which we distribute to the poor, St. Paul ealleth a 
blessing or u ' 
i tut, -i'<l, tr. of l'o|ic on Proverbs, fol 
3. In England, an arbitrary contribution or tux 
illegally exacted in the guise of a gnituity t<> 
the sovereign, from the time of Edward IV.. 
and forbidden by act of Parliament under Wil 
liam and Mary:" sometimes used of similar ex- 
actions elsewhere. 
The same year [1473] Edward began to collect the eon 
tributions which were so long and painfully familiar un- 
der the inappropriate name of Benevolences : a method of 
extortion worse than even the forced loans and Iflaek 
charters of Richard II. Stubbs, Const. Hist., 682. 
Love of benevolence, in .v>'w Knginmi tiieul., that af- 
fection or propensity of the heart to any being which 
causes it to incline to its well-being, or disposes it to 
desire and take pleasure in its happiness : distinguished 
from the lure of complacency, or the disposition to take de- 
light in a person for his moral excellence. = Syn. 1. Bin/n- 
tii. t'lnn-i/ti, etc. (see beneficence), benignity, humanity. 
benevolencyt (be-nev'o-len-si), . The quality 
of being benevolent ; benevolence. 
benevolent (be-nev'o-lent), o. [< late MK. 
lirin ml, -ill, lii'iii/nili nt, < t)F. benivolent, < L. be- 
>ievolen(t-)g (usually beneroltts), well-wishing, < 
bene, well, T volens, ppr. of velle, wish, = E. 
will.] 1. Having or manifesting a desire to 
do good ; possessing or characterized by love 
toward mankind, and a desire to promote their 
prosperity and happiness ; kind : as, a benevo- 
lent disposition or action. 
Beloved old man ! benevolent as wise. 
Pope, Odyssey, lii. 456. 
The benevolent affections are independent springs of ac- 
tion equally with the self-regarding affections. 
Fowler, Shaftesbury and Hutcheson, p. 77. 
2. Intended for the conferring of benefits, as 
distinguished from the making of profit : as, a 
benevolent enterprise; a benevolent institution. 
' Syn. Kind-hearted, humane, charitable, generous. 
benevolently (be-nev'6-lent-li), adv. In a 
benevolent manner; with good will ; kindly. 
benevolentness (be-nev'o-lent-nes), n. Benev- 
olence. [Rare.] 
benevoloust (be-nev'o-lus), a. [< L. benevolits, 
well-wishing: see benevolent.] Kind; benevo- 
lent. 
A benevolous inclination is implanted into the very frame 
and temper of our church's constitution. 
T. Puller, Mod. of Church of Eng., p. 509. 
beng (beng), n. Same as bhang. 
bengal (ben-gal'), n. [From the province of 
Bengal, Hind, and Beng. Bangui: said to be 
named from a city called Bangald; in Skt., 
Banga.] 1. A thin stuff made of silk and hair, 
used for women's apparel: formerly made in 
Bengal. 2. An imitation of striped muslin. 
Also called Bengal stripe. 
Bengalee, a. and n. See Bengali. 
Bengalese (ben-ga-les' or -lez'), o. and . [< 
Bengal + -ese.] f. a. Of or pertaining to Ben- 
gal, a province of British India, and also a lieu- 
tenant-governorship comprising several other 
provinces. 
II. n. sing, and pi. A native or natives of 
Bengal ; a Bengali or the Bengalis. 
Bengal grass, light, quince, root, etc. See the 
nouns. 
Bengali, Bengalee (ben-ga'le or -gii'le), a. and 
n. [< Hind, and Beng. BangaU.] I. a. Of or 
pertaining to Bengal, its inhabitants, or their 
language ; Bengalese. 
II. n. 1. A native or an inhabitant of Ben- 
gal ; a Bengalese. 
The wretched Bengalis fled in shoals across the Ganges. 
J. T. Wheeler, Short Hist. India, p. 267. 
2. The language of the Bengalis. 
benic (ben'ik), a. [< 6es + -ic.] Obtained 
from oil of ben: as, benic acid. 
Beni Carlos (ba'ni kar'los), n. [Formerly beni- 
carlo, benecarlo, < Benicarlo, a seaport in the 
province of Castellon, Spain.] A red wine of 
dark color and considerable strength, made on 
the shores of the Mediterranean, in eastern 
Spain. Much of it is exported to France, where 
it is mixed with lighter wine for table use. 
benight (be-nit'), r. t. [< 6e-l + night.] 1. 
To overtake with night. [Bare in this sense, 
except in the past participle.] 
benignity 
Some virgin, sure. . . . 
/;/,/<//(/,/ in these uoo-ls. .Mill",,. Cuimis, 1. 160. 
2. To involve in darkness, as with the shades 
nt ni^lit ; shroud in gloom; overshadow; 
eclipse: lignrulivcly, to involve in moral dark- 
ness or ignorance. 
And let ourselves brni<iht our happie-t day. 
. Hie Kxpiration. 
HIT visage was hc,u<i)ti><l with a tall, ta mask, to fray 
away tin; naughty wind from her tare. 
\l:,l:ll,'/i,,i. Kalh.-r llnl.bard's Tale-. 
I'm oh ' alas ! what ud<l< n eioui) i - spread 
AboUt this e|,,| jolK kilm - erli).-,e,i tlea.l' 
It all his fan .-,,.,/,,,, iiavideis, il. 
Shall we to men l-nitit,'tl 
Hie lamp of lit,- .len\ 
lll>. //'/'/. \li--ionarv Hymn. 
benighten (be-ni'tn), v. t. [< lu-nii/lii + -<'. 
after inlii/lili n, etc.] To benight. [Rare.] 
benighter (be-ni'ter), . [< bruit/lit + -i-r 1 .] 
One who benights or keeps others in ilarkncs-. 
benightment tb<;-nit'mgnt), . [< brnigkt + 
-mi-lit.] The state or condition of being be- 
nighted. 
benign (be-nin'), M. [< X1K. bfiiigiie. < OF. be- 
iiii/iii , In niii, F. bi'iiiii = Sp. Pg. It. bcnigno, < L. 
benignus, kind, < benus, old form of bmnix, good, 
+ -yen-UK, born, < gignn-f. ( >L. ywrr, beget : see 
-genous, etc. ('t. malign.] 1. Of a kind disposi- 
tion; gracious; kind; benignant; favorable. 
Thou hast fulflll'd 
Thy words. Creator bounteous and /,,,,,, 
uiviT of all things fair ! Mil/mi. I: i. . viii. 4itt. 
2. Proceeding from or expressive of gentle- 
ness, kindness, or benignity. 
To whom thus Michael, with regard benif/n. 
Milton, P. L., xi. 384. 
What did the benign lips seem to say? 
Hawthorne, Oreat Stone Face. 
3. Favorable; propitious: as, benign planets. 
Oodllke exercise 
Of Influence benign on planets pale. 
Keat f Hyperion, I. 
4. Genial; mild; salubrious: applied to weather, 
etc. 5. Mild; not severe; not violent; not ma- 
lignant : used especially in medicine : as, a be- 
nign medicine ; a benign disease. = Syn. Gracious, 
etc. See benignant. 
benignancy (be-nig'nan-si), n. [< benignant: 
see -ancy.] Benignant quality or manner. 
benignant (be-nig'nant), a. [In sense like 
benign; in form < LL. benignan(t-)s, ppr. of 
benignari, rejoice, ML. benignare, appease, < L. 
benignus, benign, kind : see benign. Cf. malig- 
nant, malign.] 1. Kind; gracious; favorable: 
as, a benignant sovereign. 
And thank benignant nature most for thee. 
Lowell, Cathedral. 
2. Exerting a good, kindly, or softening influ- 
ence; salutary; beneficial: as, the benignant 
influences of Christianity on the mind. 3. In 
med., not malignant; not dangerous: said of 
diseases. =Sjrn. 1. Benignant, Gracious, Benign, Kind, 
Good-natured. Benignant and gracious are generally ap- 
plied to superiors, and imply especially a certain manner 
of kindness or favor. Benignant is more tender or gentle ; 
gracious is more civil or condescending ; both are winning. 
Benign has largely given up to benignant the associations 
with activity or manner, and is applied especially to looks 
and influences: as, a benign smile. Kind often implies 
some superiority of circumstances on the part of the per- 
son acting : thus, we do not speak of a servant as being Kind 
to his master, unless the latter is ill or otherwise made de- 
pendent on his servant for aid. A good-natured person is 
one who Is not only willing to oblige, but will put up with 
a good deal of annoyance. Kind implies discrimination 
in benevolence ; good-natured does not, but often implies 
a weakness for indiscriminate giving to those who solicit 
help or favors. 
Stern lawgiver ! yet thou dost wear 
The Godhead's most benignant grace ; 
Nor know we anything so fair 
As is the smile upon thy face. 
Wordflt'orth, Ode to Duty. 
She, having the truth of honour in her, hath made him 
that gracious denial which he is most glad to receive. 
Skat., M. for M., ill. 1. 
There she lost a noble and renowned brother, in his love 
toward her ever most kind and natural. 
Skalr., M. for M., III. 1. 
An entertainment throughout with which everybody was 
pleased, and the good-natured fathers seemed to be moved 
with a delight no less hearty than that of the boys them- 
selves. Howellg, Venetian Life, xiif. 
benignantly (be-nig'nant-li), adv. In a be- 
nignant manner; witn kindly or gracious 
manner or intent. 
benignity (be-nig'ni-ti), n. ; pi. benignities (-tiz). 
[< L. benignita(t-)s, \ benignus, benign: see be- 
nign. ] 1 . The state or quality of being benign ; 
goodness of disposition; kindness of nature; 
graciousness ; beneficence. 
The benignity of Providence is nowhere more clearly to 
be seen than In its compensations. 
Lamll, Study Windows, p. 349. 
