besmear 
wen, (. AS. "bisnierviini, lirnHii/rioii (= MHG. be- 
smirwcii), besmear, < be- + ftiiii/nrnn, .tuitiririni, 
smear: see '"'- 1 and xmrnr."] To smear over or 
about; bedaub; overspread with any viscous 
matter, or with an v soft substance that adheres ; 
hence, to foul; soil; sully. 
M\ honour would not U-t ingratitude 
So much tirxiimir it. Hlink., M. of V.. v. i. 
His dear frit-mis Aeate-s and Aeanthcs 
Lie in till 1 tii-lil iH'siiiifetl ill tlu:ir bloods. 
CliniHHiln, lllind Ui-Kiiar. 
Her gushing Idood the pavement all b<'*nn'tti-'<l. 
Drydfn, 
besmearer (be-snier'ei-). //. One wlio besmears. 
besmirch (be-'smereh'), v. t. [< 6?- 1 + smirch.'] 
To soil ; discolor, as with soot or mud ; hence, 
to sully ; obscure. [The figurative use is now 
the more common one.] 
Our Kayiit'KH, and our yilt. art- all /-., //mv//W 
With rainy marching in the painful Ili-hl. 
s/iiil,:, Hen. V., iv. 3. 
The dishonor that befrmirchcs the husband of a faithless 
woman. llnu'tltorne, Scarlet Letter, p. 87. 
besmoke (bo-smok'), v. 1. [< ME. besmokcn, < 
6e-l + siiioken, smoke: see 6e-l and smoke.] 
1. To befoul or fill with smoke. 2. To harden 
or dry in smoke. Johnson. 3. To fumigate. 
[Rare.] 
besmOOth (be-smoTIl'), c. t. [< fee- 1 + smooth.'] 
To make smooth. Chapman. 
besmoteredt, pp. [ME., pp. of *besmotere ; 
appar. freq. of bcsmut, which, however, does 
not appear in ME.] Smutted; spotted; made 
dirty. 
A gepolln 
Al bysmotered with liis habergeoun. 
Chaucer, Gen. Prol. to C. T., 1. 76. 
besmut (be-smuf), v. t.; pret. and pp. besmut- 
ted, ppr. 'besmutting. [< be- 1 + smut.'] To 
blacken with smut ; foul with soot. 
besmutch (be-smuch'), v. t. [< be- 1 + smutch.] 
To besmirch.' Carlule. 
besnow (be-sno'), v. t. [With altered vowel 
(after snow), for earlier besnew, < ME. besnewen, 
< AS. besniwan (=MHG. besnien, G. beschneien), 
< be- + sniwan, snow: see be- 1 and snow."} To 
cover with or as with snow ; whiten. 
A third thy white and small hand shall bexnow. 
Carew, To Lady Anne Hay. 
besnuff (be-snuf), v. t. [< fie- 1 + snuff.] To 
befoul with snuff. [Rare.] 
Unwashed her hand-, and much besnu/ed her face. 
young, Satires, vi. 
besogniot, See bisognio. 
besofl (be-soil'), v. t. [< ME. besoylcn, < 6e-l + 
soilcn, soil : see be- 1 and soil.] To soil ; stain ; 
sully. 
Venerable too is the rugged face, all weather-tanned, 
besoiled, with its rude intelligence. 
Carlyle, Sartor Resartus, iii. 4. 
besom (be'zum), n. [< ME. besum, besem, besme, 
a broom, a rod, < AS. bescma, besma, a rod, in pi. 
a bundle of twigs or rods used as a broom, also 
as an instrument of punishment, = OFries. 
besma = OD. bessem, D. begem = LG. bessen = 
OHG. besamo, MHG. besemc, G. bcsen, a broom, 
a rod ; orig. perhaps a twig, hence a bundle 
of twigs, a broom.] 1. A brush of twigs for 
sweeping; hence, a broom of any kind. 
I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the 
Lord of hosts. Is., xiv. 23. 
The Lord Bacon was wont to commend the advice of 
the plain old man at Buxton, that sold besoms. 
Bacon's Apophthegms, p. 190. 
There is little to the rake to get after the bissome. 
Scotch proverb, in Ray (1678), p. 390. 
2. A name given to the common broom of Eu- 
rope, Cytisus scoparius, and to the heather, Cal- 
luna vulgaris, because both are used for besoms. 
3. [Pron. biz'um.] A contemptuous epithet 
for a low, worthless woman. [Scotch.] 
besom (be'zum), v. t. [< besom, n.] To sweep 
as with a besom. Cowper. [Rare.] 
besomer (be'zum-er), n. One who uses a besom, 
besoothment (be-soTH'ment), . [< 'besoothe 
(not in use) (< be- 1 + soothe) + -merit."] That 
which yields consolation ; solace ; comfort. 
Quarterly Rev. [Rare.] 
besortt (be-sort'), v. t. [< 6e-i + sort."] To 
suit; fit; become. 
Such men as may besort your age. Shak., Lear, i. 4. 
besortt (be-sorf), n. [< besort, r.] Something 
fitting or appropriate; suitable company. 
I crave fit disposition for my wife, . . . 
With such accommodation and besort 
As levels with her breeding. Shak., Othello, i. 3. 
besot (be-sof), v. t.; pret. and pp. besotted, 
ppr. besotting. [< 6e-l + sot.] 1. To infat- 
uate ; make a dotard of. 
A fellow sincerely lti',>'li;l on his own wife. 
R. Jomon. Kver\ Man unt of his Humour, Pri.-f. 
2. To stupefy; affect with mental or moral 
stupidity or blindness. 
A weak and /"'.W^W prince -who had . . . produced 
a n volt in which six ti >:unl li\e- \\iiv lust H ]HT 
luittcd, unmolested and in safety, to leave the city. 
ft ntt, Orations, I. 517. 
3. To make sottish, as with drink; make a 
sot of. 
TermiHed . . . to Ix-not themselves iii ih.- eniiipany oi 
their favourite revellers. JUacatif'iif, Hist. Knu-, ii. 
besotment (be-sot'ment), . [< bi'mt + -nit nl.] 
The net of making one's self sottish by drink; 
the state of being besotted. 
The debasing habit of unsocial Iv'tnliif/it is not brought 
under the t-ycs of his superior. /.'"/"'--r. 
besotted (be-sot'ed), p. a. 1. Characterized by 
or indicative of stupidity; stupid; infatuated. 
Besotted, base ingratitude. Milton, <'omus, 1. 77s. 
Historical painting had sunk . . . on the north into the 
patient devotion of lx'*<itti'il lives to delineations of bricks 
and fogs, fat cattle and ditch water. lltixkiu. 
2. Made sottish by drink ; stupefied by habit- 
ual intoxication. 
besottedly (be-sot'ed-li), adv. In a besotted 
or foolish manner. 
bespttedness (be-sot'ed-nes), . The state of 
being besotted ; stupidity ; arrant folly; infat- 
uation. 
besottingly (be-sot'ing-li), adv. In a besotting 
manner. 
besought (be-sof ) . Preterit and past participle 
of beseech. 
besour (be-sour'), v. t. [< be- 1 + sour.] To 
make sour. Hammond. 
besouth (be-south'), prep. [< ME. be-soicth; < 
6e-2 + south. Cf. benorth.] To the south of. 
[Scotch.] 
bespangle (be-spang'gl), v. t. [< be- 1 + span- 
die.] To adorn with spangles; dot or sprinkle 
with small glittering objects. 
Not Berenice's lock first rose so bright, 
The heav'ns bespangling with dislievell'd light. 
Pope, R. of the L., v. ISO. 
bespat (be-spaf). Preterit of bespit. 
bespatter (be-spat'er), v. t. [< 6e-i + spatter.] 
1. To soil by spattering; sprinkle with any- 
thing liquid, or with any wet or adhesive 
substance. 2. Figuratively, to asperse with 
calumny or reproach. 
Whom never faction could bespatter. Swift, On Poetry, 
bespattlet (be-spat'l), v. t. [< ftc- 1 + spattle.] 
To spit on. lip. Sale. 
bespawlt (be-spal'), v. t. [< 6-i + sjjawl.] 
To soil or make foul with or as with spittle. 
Uefipawls 
The conscious time with humorous foam and brawls. 
B. Jonson, Poetaster, v. 1. 
This remonstrant would invest himself conditionally 
with all the rheum of the town, that he might have suffi- 
cient to benpau'l his brethren. 
Milton, Def. of Numb. Remonst. 
bespeak (be-spek') ( . ; pret. bespoke (formerly 
bespake), pp. bespoken, bespoke, ppr. bespeak- 
ing. [< ME. bespeken, bispeken, speak, agree 
upon, complain, < AS. besprecan , complain (= 
OS. bisprekan = OFries. bisprcka = D. bcsprekcu 
= OHG. bisprelihan, MHG. G. bcsprechen, be- 
speak), < be- + sprecan, speak: see be-1 and 
speak.] I. trans. 1. To speak for beforehand ; 
engage in advance; make arrangements for: 
as, to bespeak a place in a theater. 
Staying in Paul's Churchyard, to &e/ffA-Ogilby's^sop's 
Fables and Tully'a Offlcys to be bound for me. 
Pepys, Diary, I. 138. 
'Tis very true, ma'am ; every thing is fixed, and the wed- 
ding liveries bespoke. Sheridan, School for Scandal, i. 1. 
2. To stipulate, solicit, or ask for, as a favor: 
as, to bespeak a calm hearing. 
Tliis is a sinister and politic kind of charity, whereby 
we seem to bespeak the pities of men in the like occasions. 
Sir T. Browne, Religio Medici, ii. 2. 
3f. To forebode ; foretell. 
They started fears, liespoke dangers, and formed omi- 
nous prognosticks, to scare the allies. Swift. 
4. To speak to ; address. [In this sense mostly 
poetical.] 
He thus the queen bespoke. Dryden. 
5. To betoken; show; indicate, as by signs. 
When the abbot of St. Martin was born, he had so little 
the figure of a man that it bespoke him rather a monster. 
Lorke. 
His face bespeaks 
A deep and simple meekness. 
Wordsworth, The Borderers, i. 
The object, alike paltry and impossible, of this ambi- 
tion, bespoke the narrow mind. 
Motley, Dutch Republic, II. 513. 
Bessel's function 
II. t intrtinx. To speak up or out; exclaim; 
speak. 
1 util their Lord himself /w^/xiAr, and bid them ^o. 
Uilto,,, NatmH. M 
And thus tile chief lii'spakt. Coir/i< i , Iliad, ii. 201. 
bespeak (lie-spek'), M. [< lx/n nl,,i-., \.\ Among 
aetiirs in (Ireiit Hritain, a benefit : so called 
from the bespeaking of patronage by the actor.-.. 
or of the play by the patrons. See bnn-jit, .">. 
bespeaker i be-spe'ker), //. One who bespeaks. 
bespeaking fb^-flpfiTdng), n. [Verbal n. of be- 
H/H-II/:.] The, act of speaking for or soliciting; 
solicitation. 
A preface, therefore, which is bill a / .-/' ukiit'i of favour, 
is altogether n-i-lcwi. lifinlm. Hind and I'anther, I'ref. 
bespeckle (be-spek'l), r. t. [< fie- 1 + x/iri-/;l<. \ 
To mark with speckles, spots, or bright patches. 
Bespeckled her with . . . gaudy allurements. 
M ili'iii . Kefnniiation in i;u-, , i. 
bespendt (lie-spend'), c. t. [< /-! + upend.] 
To expend; bestow; employ. 
All his craft 
Bespent about the bed. 
i 'Ixt /.,,', i, od.vssey, viii. 
bespett, '' ' [MK. lirx/icfrn (weak verb. pp. 
brxjii't, brspat), < be- 1 + s/ieten, < AS. ///, 
spit: see spit, and cf. bes/>it.] To bespit. 
bespew (be-spu'), f. t. [< fte- 1 + spew.] To 
spew or vomit on. 
bespice (be-spls'). v. t. [< be- 1 + spice.] To 
season with spices or drugs; hence, to drug; 
poison. 
Ay, and thou, 
His cup-bearer, . . . mightst begpiee a cup, 
To give mine enemy a lasting wink. 
Shak., W. T., I. 2. 
bespirtt, ''. t. See bespurt. 
bespit (be-spif), . t.-, pret. besjrit, bespat, pp. 
bespit, begpittcn, bespittcd, ppr. bespitting. [< 
ME. bispitten, < bi- + spitten, spit: see be- 1 and 
spit, and cf. bespet.] To spit upon; soil with 
spittle. 
bespoke (be-spok'). Preterit and past partici- 
ple of besj)eak. 
bespot (be-spof), i 1 . t. [< ME. bispotten, < W- 
+ spotten, spot: see be-* and spot.] To make 
spots on ; mark with spots ; cover with or as 
with blots or blemishes. 
Bespotted so with sin. Draytoii, Matilda to K. John. 
bespread (be-spred'), v. t. [< be-* + spread.] 
To spread over ; cover with. 
His nuptial bed, 
With curious needles wrought, and painted flowers be- 
spread. Dryden. 
bespreng (be-spreug'), . t. [< ME. besprengen, 
bisprengen (pp. besprenged, bespreynt, etc.), < 
AS. besprent/an (= D. and G. besprengen), be- 
sprinkle, < be- + sprengan, sprinkle: see be- 1 
and sprang, and cf. besprinkle.] 1. To sprinkle 
over; besprinkle: as, "besprent with teares," 
Mir. for Mags., p. 26. 
The floor with tassels of fir was besprent. 
Longfellow, Wayside Inn, King Olaf, iv. 
2. To spread ; scatter. 
His silver tresses thin besprent. 
T. Warton, Grave of King Arthur. 
[Obsolete except in the perfect participle be- 
sprent.] 
besprent (be-sprenf), p. a. [Pp. of bespreng,] 
Besprinkled. 
In the Qowei'-briqircnt meadows his genius we trace. 
Wordsworth, At Vallombrosa. 
besprinkle (be- spring 'kl), r. t. [< 6-i + 
sprinkle. Cf. bespreng.] To sprinkle over; 
scatter over : as, to besprinkle with dust. 
Herodotus . . . hath besprinkled his work with many 
fabulosities. Sir T. Browne. 
Besprinkles with Cimmerian dew. Pope, Dunciad, iii. 4. 
besprinkler (be-spring'kler), w. One who be- 
sprinkles. 
bespurt, bespirtt (be-spert'). r. t. [< 6e-l + 
spurt.] To spurt out or over; throw out in a 
stream or streams. 
Well bespttrted with his own holy water. 
Milton, Def. of Hum)). Remonst. 
bespurtlet (be-sper'tl), r. t. [< 6c-i + spurtle.] 
To bespatter,' as with contumely ; asperse. 
I give thy dogged sullennes free libertie : trot about, and 
bespitrtle whom thou pleaaest. 
Marston and Webster, The Malcontent, i. 2. 
besputter (be-sput'er), r. /. [< 6e-i + sputter.] 
To sputter over. 
Besselian (be-sel'yan), a. Pertaining to or ori- 
ginated by the German astronomer Friedrich 
Wilhelm Bessel (1 784-1846) Besselian function. 
Same as Bfssel'sfnnctiun (which see, under function). 
Bessel's function. See function. 
