bequeath 
remains archaically in an idiomatic construc- 
tion (see quoth). The compound has been pre- 
served through its technical use in wills.] If. 
To give away; transfer the possession of; as- 
sign as a gift. 
Wilt thou forsake thy fortune, 
ISequeath thy land to him. and follow me? 
Mnk., K. John, i. 1. 
2. To give or leave by will ; assign as a legacy : 
more commonly, but not necessarily, used of 
personal property, in contradistinction to real 
property, which is said to be devised. 
Mine heritage, 
Which my dead father did bfi/tieath tome. 
Mat:, Pericles, ii. 1. 
3. To hand down ; transmit. 
One generation ' las bequeathed its religious gloom ami 
ligious ardor to the next. 
ll-ttturiu\ Alain Street. 
the counterfeit of its religio 
Greece has bequeathed to us her ever living tongue, and 
the immortal productions of her intellect. 
Gladstone, Might of Right, p. 18. 
4f. To commit ; commend ; intrust. 
We to flames our slaughtered friends bequeath. 
I'niip, Iliad, vii. 399. 
5f. To give or yield ; furnish; impart. 
A niggards purse shall scarce bequeath his master a 
good dinner. 
I'ennyless Part., in Hart. Misc. (Malh.), III. 72. (.V. E. D.) 
That which bequeath* it this slow pace. 
A". Fair/ax, Bulk and Selv., p. 122. (A T . E. D.) 
6f. Reflexively, to commit; dedicate; devote. 
Orpheus . . . bequeaths himself to a solitary life in the 
deserts. A'. Vi<jlnj, Broad Stoneof Honour, 1. 166. (X.E.D.) 
bequeatht (be-kwera'), . [< bequeath, r.] A 
bequest. 
bequeathable (be-kwe'THa-bl), a. [< bequeath 
+ -dbte. ] Capable of being bequeathed. 
bequeathal (be-kwe'THal), . [< bequeath + 
-aT.] The act of bequeathing; bequest. 
The beijueathal of their savings may he a means of giv- 
inu' unalloyed happiness. The American, VI. 324. 
bequeather (be-kwe'THer), n. One who be- 
queaths. 
bequeathment (be-kweTH'ment), n. [< be- 
queath + -ment.] The act of bequeathing; a 
bequest. 
bequest (be-kwesf), . [< ME. bequeste, by- 
quyste, prob. (with excrescent -t, as in be- 
hest, and shifted accent, after the verb) < AS. 
*bicwis (equiv. to bicwide, ME. bequide, after 
becwethan, ME. bequethen),< bi-, accented form, 
in nouns, of bi-, be-, + cwis (ciciss-), saying, < 
cwethan, say: see bequeath.] 1. The act of 
bequeathing or leaving by will. 
He claimed the crown to himself, pretending an adop- 
tion, or bequest of the kingdom unto him, by the Confes- 
sor. Sir M. Hale. 
Possession, with the right of bequest and inheritance, is 
the stimulant which raises property to its highest value. 
If. A. Rev., CXLIII. 58. 
2. That which is left by will; a legacy. 3. 
That which is or has been handed down or 
transmitted. 
Our cathedrals, our creeds, our liturgies, our varied 
ministries of compassion for every form of human suffer- 
ing, are a bequest from the age of faith. 
H. N. Oxenham, Short Studies, p. 263. 
bequestt (be-kwesf), *. t. [< bequest, n.] To 
give as a be'quest; bequeath. 
bequetheti t. An obsolete form of bequeath. 
Clinucer. 
bequia-SWeet (ba-ke'a-swet), n. [See quot.] 
An oscine passerine bird, of the family Icterida; 
and subfamily Quiscalinai ; the Quiscalus lumi- 
nosus, a grakle found in the Caribbees : so named 
from its note. 
In Bequia fin the Caribbees], and extending through- 
out the chain [of islands], is a blackbird, a new species 
named the QttdeoitM lunrinoxux, which makes the air re- 
sound with its joyous cry : "Bequia Kiveet, sweet, Bequia 
sweet." Ober, Camps in the Caribbees, p. 246. 
bequote (be-kwof), '. '. [< fee- 1 + quote.'] To 
quote frequently or much. 
beraftt, PP- A Middle English past participle 
of bereave. 
beraint (be-ran'), v. t. [< ME. beraynen, berei- 
nen (= OHG. biregaiion, G. beregnen), < be- + 
reinen, rain : see be- 1 and ruin 1 . ] To rain upon. 
With his teris salt hire breest byreyned. 
Chaucer, Troilus, iv. 1172. 
Berardius (be-rar'di-us), n. [NL., named after 
M. Berard.] A genus of odontoeete whales, 
of the family Physeteridce and subfamily Ziphii- 
n<e, having two functional teeth on each side of 
the mandibular symphysis. It is related in general 
characters to Ziphiux and Mesoplodon. The only species, 
B. arnmixi, attaining a length of about 80 feet, is found in 
New Zealand waters. 
Berard steel. See steel. 
528 
berat (be-raf), w. [Arinen.] A warrant or 
patent of dignity or privilege given by an Ori- 
ental monarch. 
berate (be-raf), . /. [< be- 1 + rate*.] To chide 
vehemently; scold. 
Zopyrus liffatfd Socrates as if he had caught a pick- 
pocket. l't>- "''. -"", XXII. 65. 
berattlet (be-rat'l), v. t. [< be- 1 + rattle.] To 
cry down; abuse ; rundown. Shah. [Bare.] 
beraunite (be-ra'nit), n. [< licraun (see def.) 
+ -itc".] A hydrous phosphate of iron of a 
reddish-brown color, found at St. Benigiia near 
Berann in Bohemia. 
berayt (be-ra'), v. t. [< lie- 1 + ray 3 .] 1. To 
make fouf; defile; soil. 
Beraifhi'i the font and water while the bishop was bap- 
tizing him'. Milton, Hist. Eng., vi. 
2. To scent. 
How conies your handkercher 
Ho sweetly thus berai/'d ? 
Mnldleton, The Witch, i. '2. 
berbe (berb), n. The name of an African genet, 
Genetta pardina. 
Berber (ber'ber), n. and n. [< Ar. Berber, Bar- 
bur, the Berbers : see barbary and barb 3 .] I. . 
1. A person belonging to any one of a group 
of tribes inhabiting the mountainous parts of 
Barbary and portions of the Sahara, descended 
from the primitive race of those regions. 2. 
The language spoken by the Berbers. It is 
one of the Hamitic languages. 
II. a. Of or pertaining to the Berbers or 
their language. 
Berberidaceae (ber"be-ri-da'se-e), n. pi. [NL., 
< Berberis (lierberid-) + -a'cea.] A natural 
order of plants, belonging to the thalamifloral 
dicotyledons, distinguished from allied orders 
by having the few stamens in two or three 
whorls and the anthers opening by valves. The 
genera are widely distributed, but are small, with the 
exception of Berberis. Of the smaller genera, the blue 
cohosh (Caulophyllum), the mandrake (Podophyllum), and 
the twin-leaf (Jeffersonia) are of more or less repute in 
medicine, and the Akebia is an ornamental climber. See 
cut under Berberis. 
berberidaceous (ber'be-ri-da'shras), a. Of or 
pertaining to the lierberidacece. 
berberine (ber'be-rin), n. [< NL. berberina : 
see Berberis and -ie 2 .] An alkaloid (Co H 17 
NO 4 ) widely distributed in the vegetable king- 
dom, being found in the barberry and a con- 
siderable number of plants, or parts of plants, 
whose extracts combine a yellow color and bit- 
ter taste. It forms fine yellow acicular crystals, spar- 
ingly soluble In water, having a bitter taste. The sul- 
phate and hydrochlorate are soluble, but with difficulty. 
Berberis (ber'be-ris), n. [NL. : see barberry.] 
The principal genus of the natural order Ber- 
beridacea;, including the common barberry. 
It contains about 50 
species of shrubby 
plants, mostly Ameri- 
can, and ranging from 
Oregon to Tierra del 
Fnego. The common 
barberry, B. vulgaris, 
the only European spe- 
cies and extensively na- 
turalized in the United 
States, is well known 
for its red acid berries, 
which make a pleasant 
preserve. The leaves 
also are acid, and the 
bark and root, as in 
many other species, are 
astringent and yield a 
yellow dye. The bark 
of the root of this and 
of several Asiatic spe- 
cies, as B. Lycium, B. 
Asiatica, and B. arix- 
tata, is used as a bitter tonic and for the extraction of 
l>erberine (which see). Some of the Mahonia group of 
species, distinguished by pinnate evergreen leaves, and 
including the Oregon grape of the Pacific coast, B. Agui- 
folium, are frequently cultivated for ornament. The 
stamens in this genus are curiously irritable, springing 
forward upon the pistil when the inner side of the fila- 
ment is touched. 
berberry (ber'ber-i), . Same as barberry. 
berbine (ber'bin), . [< Berb(eris) + -ine%.] 
An alkaloid extracted from the root and inner 
bark of the barberry. It is an amorphous 
white powder, bitter to the taste. 
berceuse (bar-sez'), n. [F., a rocker, a lullaby. 
Cf. bercfaii, a cradle, < bercer, rock, lull to 
sleep.] A cradle-song; especially, a vocal or 
instrumental composition of a tender, quiet, 
and soothing character. 
bercheroot (ber'che-rot), n. The Bussian 
pound, the unit of weight in Russia. The 
standard of 1835 equals 409.5174 grams, or 
0.9028307 of a pound avoirdupois. 
bercowetz, . See berl-m-ets. 
Barberry (Berberis vulgaris), with 
fruit, flower, and anther (<r a) in the 
act of dehiscence. 
berg 
berdasht, " See Imrdaslt. 
berdet, " An obsolete form of beanl. 
bereH, ', bere 2 t, etc - An obsolete form of 
hear 1 , bear'*, etc., berry*, etc. 
Berean (be-re'an), a. and n. [Also written Be- 
rn-fin, < L. Umi'KK, < licroefi, < Gr. Bipoia, Bt/)- 
l>oia.] I. a. Of or pertaining to the ancient town 
of Berea (Beroea, now Verria) in Macedonia; 
in religious use, resembling the people of Berea 
as described in the Acts. See II., 2. 
II. n. 1. An inhabitant of ancient Berea. 
2. One of a sect of dissenters from the Church 
of Scotland, who took their name from and 
profess to follow the ancient Bereans men- 
tioned in Acts xvii. 11, in bxiilding their sys- 
tem of faith and practice upon the Scriptures 
alone, without regard to human authority. 
Also called Barclayiten, from their founder, 
John Barclay (1734-98), of Muthill, Perthshire. 
Berea sandstone. See sandstone. 
bereave (be-rev'), ;-.; pret. and pp. bereaved or 
bereft, ppr. ' bereaviny. [< ME. bereren, bireren 
(pret. berevede, berefte, bereft, berafte, pp. be- 
reved, bereft, beraft), < AS. beredfian (= OFries. 
birava = OS. birobhon = D. berooreu = OHG. 
biroiibon, MHG. berouben, G. berattben = Goth. 
biraubon), rob, bereave, < be- + redfian, plun- 
der, rob: see be- 1 and reave.] I. trans. 1. To 
deprive by or as if by violence; rob; strip: 
with of before the thing taken away. 
Me have ye bereaved of my children. Gen. xlii. 36. 
Fate had weaven 
The twist of life, and her of life bereaven. 
Ford, Fame's Memorial. 
Wilt thou die e'en thus, 
Ruined 'midst ruin, ruining, bereft 
O/name and honor V 
William Morris, Earthly Paradise, II. 18. 
[It is sometimes used without of, more especially in the 
passive, the subject of the verb being either the person 
deprived or the thing taken away. 
And 'tis your fault I am bereft him so. 
Shak. , Venus and Adonis, 1. 381. 
All your interest in those territories 
Is utterly bereft you. Shak., 2 Hen. VI., Hi. 1.) 
2f. To take away by destroying, impairing, or 
spoiling ; take away by violence. 
Shall move you to bereave my life. Marlowe. 
I think his understanding is bereft. 
Shak., 3 Hen. VI., 11.6. 
3f. To deprive of power ; prevent. 
No thing may bireve 
A man to love, til that him list to leve. 
Chaucer, Troilus, i. 685. 
II. in trans. To destroy life ; cutoff. [Rare.] 
bereavement (be-rev'ment), n. [< bereave + 
-ment.] 1. The act of bereaving. 2. The state 
of being bereaved ; grievous loss; particularly, 
the loss of a relative or friend by death. 
He bore his bereavement with stoical fortitude. 
H. Smith, Tor Hill. 
bereaver (be-re'ver), n. One who bereaves or 
deprives another of something valued. 
bereft (be-reff). Preterit and past participle 
of bereave. 
Berengarian (ber-en-ga'ri-an), n. and a. [< 
ML. Berengariiis, Berengar, a theologian, born 
about A. p. 998, died about 1088.] I. n. One of 
a sect which followed Berengarius or Berengar 
of Tours, archdeacon of Angers in the eleventh 
century, who denied the doctrine of trausub- 
stantiation. 
II. a. Of or pertaining to the Berengarians 
or their opinions. 
Berengarianism (ber-en-ga'ri-an-izm), n. [< 
Berengarian + -ism. ] The opinions or doctrines 
of Berengarius and his followers. See Beren- 
garian. 
Berenice's hair. See Coma Berenices. 
beresite (ber'e-sit), . [< Beres(ovsk) + -4te%.] 
A fine-grained granite found near Beresovsk, 
Russia, in the Ural, associated with gold-bear- 
ing quartz. 
beret, berret 1 (ber'et), . [F. beret, < ML. be- 
retta, biretta, a cap: see barret' 2 and biretta.] 
1 . A round flat woolen cap worn by the Basque 
peasantry. N. E. D. 2. Same as birr/fa. 
beretta, . See biretta. 
berettina, . See berrettina. 
berewickt, See bertcick. 
berg 1 (berg), . [< Icel. Sw. Norw. &pn/ = Dan. 
bjerg, a rock, G. berg = E. barrow 1 , a hill.] A 
rock. [Shetland.] 
berg 2 (berg), . [From -berg in iceberg, < G. 
eisoerg : see iceberg. Not from AS. beorg, a hill, 
which gives E. barrow 1 , a mound (but cf . bergh) : 
see barrow 1 .] A large floating mass or moun- 
tain of ice ; an iceberg. 
Like glittering tori}* of ice. Trnnytun, Princess, iv. 
