beteach 
Anil hem slic yaf Mrc moebles and hire tiling, 
And to the impc Urban bitmik hem tho. 
Chaucer, Second Nun's Tale, 1. Ml. 
Dame Pluebe to a Nymphc her babe betooke. 
Spenser, F. Q., III. vi. 2S. 
3. To impart or teach. 
Whereof that IK- was fully taught 
Of wisdom which was him betau'tltt. 
Gower, Conf. Amant., vii. 
betear (be-ter'), v. t. [< fee- 1 4- tear 2 .] To wet 
with tears. Sir P. Sidney. 
betechet, '. t. Same as beteach. 
beteemH (be-tem'), *. t. [< be- 1 + fe0M\] To 
bring forth ; produce ; shed. 
/,,,.. Why is your cheek so pale? 
How chance the roses there do fadfi so fast? 
//,'/. Belike for want of rain ; which I could well 
lii'ti'cin tin-in from the tempest of mine eyes. 
Shak., Jl. N. D., i. 1. 
beteem 2 t (be-tem'), v. t. [Appar. < be- 1 + 
teenfi.~\ 1. To allow; permit; suffer. 
So loving to my mother, 
That he might not bete.em thu winds of heaven 
Visit her face too roughly. Shak., Hamlet, i. 2. 
2. To vouchsafe; accord; give. 
"So would I," said the Enchanter, "glad and faine 
Beteeme to you this sword." Spemer, V. Q., II. viii. 19. 
Although bee could have well beteem'd to have thankt 
him of the ease hee profer'd, yet loving bis owne handi- 
worke, modestly refus'd him. 
Milton, Def. of Humb. Remonst. 
betel (be'tl), n. [Also written betle, and for- 
merly also betele, bettel, etc. ; = F. betel = Sp. 
betel, betle, < Pg. betel, bethel, betelhe, formerly 
also betle, vitele, < Malayalam vettila = Tamil 
vettilei (cerebral t), betel; cf. Hind, bird or bin, 
< Skt. vitika (cerebral t), betel.] 1. A species 
of pepper, Piper betle, a creeping or climbing 
plant, a native of the East Indies, natural order 
I'iperacecE. The leaves are used as a wrapper for the 
little pellets of areca-nut and lime which are extensively 
chewed in the East. The pellet is hot and acrid, but has 
aromatic and astringent properties. It tinges the saliva 
red and blackens the teeth. Also called betel-pepper. 
2. A piece of betel-nut. 
betel-DOX (be'tl-boks), n. A box for carrying 
pellets prepared of betel-leaves, lime, and 
areca-nuts. Such boxes are commonly made 
of silver filigree. 
betel-nut (be'tl-nut), 
n. [< betel + nut.'] 
The nut of the areca- 
palm, Areca Catecjm, 
of the East Indies, 
highly esteemed 
among the Asiatics 
as a masticatory. 
See areca-nut. 
betel-pepper (be'tl- 
pep"er), n. Same as 
betel, I. 
betht, v. i. impv. 
[ME., < AS. bedth, 2d 
pers. pi. of beon, be: 
I, 1 ~QK -,rr* fl,fi,. Areca-palm (Areca Catechu , with 
see&e.] Be ye. Uiau- its fruit, the Betei-mit. 
cer. 
bethankit (be-thang'kit), n. [Sc., humorously 
adapted from the formula God be thankit, where 
thankit = E. thanked, pp.] Grace after meat. 
Burns. 
bethel (beth'el), n. [Heb. beth-el, house of 
God, < beth, house, + el, God; hence Bethel 
(Beth-el), name of a place : see Elohim."] 1. 
A hallowed spot. 2. A name sometimes ap- 
plied to a place of worship in England, espe- 
cially to a dissenting chapel. 3. A church or 
chapel for seamen, whether located on shore 
or, as is often the case, afloat in a harbor. 
Bethell process. See process. 
bethink (be-thingk'), v. ; pret. and pp. be- 
thought, ppr. bethinking. [< ME. bethenken, bi- 
thinken, commonly bethenchen, < AS. bethencan, 
bithencan (= D. bedenken = OHG. bidenchan, 
MHG. G. bedenken = Sw. betanka = Dan. be- 
tcenke), consider, think about, < be- + thencan, 
think: see be- 1 and think.} I. trans. If. To 
think; imagine. 
He spak more harm than herte may bethinke. 
Chawer, Pro), to Wife of Bath's Tale, 1. 772. 
2f. To think about ; reflect upon ; consider. 
With patience calm the storm, 
While we bethink a means to break it off. 
Shak., 3 Hen. VI., iii. 8. 
3. Reflexiyely: (a) To call to mind ; take into 
consideration; remind one's self: with of (for- 
merly also on or upon) before the name of the 
object of thought. 
Bethink yourselves beforehand what mercies you want. 
Up. Beveridge, Sermons, II. cxlv. 
536 
Ili'tltink thcc of thy Lord, 
Who healed again the smitten ear, 
And sheathed his follower's sword. 
W/iilt ier, The Exiles. 
(6) To reflect; deliberate ; commune with one's 
self. 
. 
Bin bethought himself a. moment and inquired. 
Irving, Sketch-Book, p. 60. 
II. intrans. To deliberate ; consider. 
Bethink ere thou dismiss us. Byron, Manfred, i. 1. 
Bethlehem (beth'le-em), . See bedlam. 
Bethlehemite (beth' ; le-em-It), n. [< Bethle- 
hem + -He 1 . See bedlam.] 1. An inhabitant 
of Bethlehem of Judea (2 Sam. xxi. 19). 2. 
An inmate of Bethlehem hospital or other luna- 
tic asylum; a bedlamite. See bedlam and bed- 
lamite. 3. Eccles.: (a) One of an order of 
monks introduced into England in the year 
1257, who were habited like the Dominicans, 
except that they wore a star with five rays, 
in memory of the comet or star which appeared 
over Bethlehem at the birth of Christ. (6) One 
of an order founded in the seventeenth cen- 
tury for the service of the hospitals in Spanish 
America. 
Bethlemitet (beth'lem-it), n. Same as Beth- 
lehemite. 
bethought (be-thof). Preterit and past parti- 
ciple of bethitik. 
bethrall (be-thral'), r. 1. [< fee- 1 + thrall.'] 
To enslave ; reduce to bondage ; bring into 
subjection. 
She it is that did my Lord bethrall. 
Spenser, F. Q., I. viii. 28. 
bethroot (beth'rot), n. Same as birthroot. 
bethule (beth'ul), n. [< Bethylus.] A bird of 
the genus Bethylus (Cuvier), or Cissopis (Vieil- 
lot). 
bethump (be-thump'), v. t. [< be- 1 + thump.] 
To beat soundly. 
I was never so bethump'd with words 
Since I first call'd my brother's father dad. 
Shak., K. John, ii. 2. 
bethwack (be-thwak'), v. t. [< be- 1 + thwack.] 
To thrash soundly. 
Bethylus (beth'i-lus), n. [NL.] 1. A genus 
of pupivorous hymenopterous insects, of the 
family Proctotryfjidai, having an elongated and 
somewhat triangular prothorax, a flattened 
head, and 13-jointed antennae. 2. In ornith., 
a genus of South American tanagroid Pusseres, 
based on the Lanius leverianus of Shaw, sup- 
posed to be a shrike. Antedated by Ciisopis of 
vieillot, 1810, based upon the same bird, and also in en- 
tomology. Also spelled Bethylhui. [Not in use.] 
betide (be-tld'), v. [< ME. Widen, < bi-, be-, + 
tiden, happen: see be- 1 and tide, v.~\ I. trans. 
1. To happen; befall; come to. 
What will betide the few? Milton, P. L., xii. 480. 
" 111 luck betide them all" he cried. 
Whittier, The Exiles. 
2. To betoken ; signify. [Bare.] 
How could I but muse 
At what such a dream should betide ? 
Cowper, The Morning Dream. 
II. intrans. To come to pass; happen TO 
betide ont, to become of. 
If he were dead, what would betide on me ? 
Shak., Rich. III., i. 3. 
betidet (be-tld'), . [< betide, v.] Hap; fortune. 
Bad betidet, ill hap ; misfortune : a forced use. 
My wretched heart wounded with bad betide. 
Greene, Francesco's Sonnet. 
betightt (be-tif). An erroneously formed past 
participle of betide: one of Spenser's forced 
forms. 
Why wayle we then ? why weary we the Gods with playnts, 
As if some evill were to her betight ? 
Spenser, Shep. Cal., November. 
betimet (be-tim'), adv., ong.prep. phr. [< ME. 
beti/me, bitime, prop, separate, bi time, by time.] 
Older form of betimes. 
Loke thou go to bede by tyine. 
How the Goode Wyfe Taught hyr Daughter, 1. 165. 
All in the morning betime. Shak., Hamlet, iv. 5 (song). 
I went one day myself betime in the morning to a great 
man's house to speak with him. 
Latimer, Serm. bef. Edw. VI., 1550. 
betimes (be-timz'), adv. [< ME. betymes, bi- 
tymes, < betime + adv. gen. suffix -s.] 1. Sea- 
sonably ; in good season or time ; before it is 
too late ; early. 
Not to be a-bed after midnight is to be up betimes. 
Shak., 1. N., ii. 3. 
To measure life learn thou betimes. 
Milton, Sonnets, xvi. 
Partake we their blithe cheer 
Who gathered in betimes the unshorn flock 
To wash the fleeee. Wordsworth, River Duddon, xxiii. 
betrap 
Having engaged our guide and horses the night before, 
we set out betimes this morning for Orlevano. 
Lowell, Fireside Travels, p. 240. 
2. Soon ; in a short time. 
Hi- tires bftiiiifs. that spurs too fast betimes. 
Shak., Rich. II., ii. 1. 
3. Occasionally ; at, times. [Scotch.] = Syn. 
Early, Soon, Betimes. See early. 
betinet, '' t. [< be- 1 + tine for find, kindle.] 
To set fire to. 
betitt, ' Obsolete shortened form of betideth. 
Chaucer. 
betitle (be-ti'tl), v. t. [< be- 1 + title.] To 
give a title or titles to; entitle: as, a befitted 
man; a "picture . . . befitted, Glorious Revo- 
lution," Carlyle, Misc., III. 82. 
betle, n. See betel. 
betoilt (be-toil'), r. t. [< be- 1 + toiJi.] To 
worry witti toil. 
betokt. Middle English preterit of betake 2 . 
betoken (be-to'kn), i>. t. [< ME. betokenen, bi- 
tuciii'ii, < AS. 'betdenian (not found ; equiv. to 
r/etaciiian, with diff. prefix; cf. believe) (= 
OFries. bitekna = D. beteekenen = LG. beteik- 
en = OHG. bizeiehanon, G. bczeichnen = Sw. 
beteckna = Dan. betegnc), < be- + tacn, tdcen, 
token: see be-l and token.'] If. To signify; 
mean ; denote in words. 2. To be a token of ; 
be a visible sign of ; give promise of. 
A dewy cloud, and in the cloud a bow, ... 
Betokening peace from God. Milton, P. L., xi. 867. 
3. To foreshow by signs ; be or furnish a pre- 
monition of; indicate the probability of: as, 
this fact betokens a good result. 
The morning betokened foul weather. 
Bancroft, Hist. Const., II. 261. 
4. To give evidence of ; show. 
This doth betoken 
The corse they follow did with desperate hand 
Fordo its own life. Shak., Hamlet, v. 1. 
= Syn. To signify; presage, portend, augur, bode. 
beton (bet 'on; F. pron. ba-tdn'), . [< F. 
btton, < OF'.' betun, rubble, of disputed origin, 
but prob. < Pr. beton = Sp. betun, < L. bitumen, 
bitumen : see bitumen. Some compare F. be- 
ton, beestings, curded milk, < OF. beter, co- 
agulate.] A mixture of lime, sand, and grav- 
el, forming a kind of concrete. It is much used 
as a hydraulic cement in submarine works, and whole 
buildings have been constructed of it. 
betongue (be-tung'), v. t. [< be- 1 + tongue.] 
To scold ; attack with the tongue ; rail at. 
How Ben Jonson and Shakspere betongned each other. 
North British Rev. 
betonica (be-ton'i-ka), n. Same as betony. 
betony (bet'o-ni), . [Early mod. E. also 
betonie, bettohy, etc., < ME. betony, betany, 
earlier betone, betan (cf. ML. betonia), < OF. 
beteine, F. betoine = Pr. Sp. Pg. It. betonica = 
G. betonie = AS. betonica, < L. betonica, a cor- 
rupt form of vettonica, so named, according to 
Pliny, from the Vettones, otherwise Vectones, a 
Eeople of Lusitania in the Spanish peninsu- 
i.] The popular name of Stachys Betonica or 
Betonica officinalis, a European labiate plant, 
growing in woods. It is sometimes used to dye wool. 
producing a dark-yellow color. It is usually distinguished 
from water-betony (an aquatic plant, Scrophularia aquati- 
crt) as vood-betony, which name is also given in the United 
States to Pedicularis Canadensis, and sometimes to Ly- 
copvs Vii'ginicus. The Veronica serpyllifolia is called 
Paul's betony, because described as a betony by an old 
herbalist, -Paulus ^Egineta. 
betook (be-tuk'). Preterit of betake 1 and be- 
betornt (be-torn'), p. a. [Pp. of verb *betear% 
(not used)', < be- 1 + tear 1 .] I. Torn. 
Whose heart be-torn out of his panting breast. 
Norton and SackcilU, Gorboduc, iv. 1. 
2. Torn in pieces. 
betpss (be-tos' ),v.t. [< be- 1 + toss.] To toss; 
agitate ; disturb ; put in violent motion. 
The miserable betossed squire. 
Shelton, tr. of Don Quixote, I. iii. 3. 
My betossed soul. Shak., R. and J., v. 3. 
betraiset, betrasht, . t. [ME. betraisen, betray- 
sen, bitraisshen, bitrasshen, < be- + OF. traiss-, 
stem of certain parts of trair, F. trahir, betray: 
see betray and -ish 2 .] To betray. 
They have betraised thee. Jiobert of Bnttme. 
betrap 1 ! (be-trap'), v. t. ; pret. and pp. be- 
trapped, ppr. betrapping. [< ME. betrappen, < 
AS. betmppan, betreppan, insnare, < be- + 
trceppan, treppan, trap: see be- 1 and trap 1 .] 
To entrap ; insnare. Gower. 
betrap 2 t (be-trap'), v. t. ; pret. and pp. be- 
trapped, ppr. betrapping. [< be- 1 + trap*.] To 
put trappings on ; clothe ; deck. 
After them followed two other chariots covered with 
red satin, and the horses betrapped with the same. 
Stow, Queen Mary, an. 1553. 
