• BESIBBING
adj. 1602 obs. rare – resembling; having a likeness to
• BE SICK
vb. 1959 Amer. dial. – to have a baby
• BESIDE
adv. c1400 obs. – toward the sides, sidewise
• BESIDE-FORTH
adv. 1377 obs. – moreover, further
• BESIDES
adv. c1205 obs. – close by, near
• BESIDE THE CUSHION
adv. 1576 obs. – away from the main purpose or argument, beside the mark; erroneously or mistakenly
• BESIEGE
n. 1552 obs. – besieging, siege
• BESIEGINGLY
adv. 1822 rare – urgently, importunately
• BESIGHT
n. 1258 obs. rare – consideration, determination, ordinance
• BESIN
vb. 1622 obs. – to stigmatize as sinful
• BESINK
vb. 1. c893 obs. – to sink, to fall down through any substance
vb. 2. c1200 obs. – to submerge
• BESIT
vb. 1. a1100 obs. – to encamp about; to besiege
vb. 2. 1362 obs. – to sit upon; to lie heavy upon; to weigh upon
vb. 3. c1449 obs. – to sit properly upon, as a dress; to fit, to suit, to become
• BESKYFTE
vb. 1470-85 obs. rare – to thrust off
• BESLABBER
vb. Bk1911 Sc. – to eat slovenly; to besmear in eating or drinking
• BESLE
n. Bk1911 Sc. – idle talk
vb. Bk1911 Sc. – to talk much at random and ignorantly
• BE SLIPPING
vb. 1914 sl. – to deteriorate in quality
• BESLITTEN
adj. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – slit
• BESLOBBER
vb. 1. 1828 – to kiss like a drivelling child
vb. 2. 1868 – to flatter
vb. 3. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – to eat in a slovenly manner; to render wet or dirty by spilling food on the clothes
• BESLOW
vb. 1645 obs. – to retard
• BESLUBBER
vb. c1394 – to wet and soil with a thick liquid; to bedaub, to bedabble, to besmear
• BESMARTEN
vb. Bk1911 Sc. – to make smart or neat
• BESMATTER
vb. 1715 Eng. dial. – to smear or daub with mud or dirt
• BESMEAR
vb. 1579 – to sully, to defile, to pollute
• BESMIRCH
vb. 1. 1602 – to sully, to dim the lustre of
vb. 2. a1700 – to soil, to discolour, as with smoke, soot, or mud
• BESMIT
vb. a1225 obs. – to stain; to infect, as with disease; to contaminate
• BESMORTH
vb. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – to besmear
• BESMOTTER
vb. 1715 Eng. dial. – to smear or daub with mud or dirt; bespatter, to foul
• BESMOTTERED
adj. c1386 obs. rare – splashed or spattered as with mud or dirt
• BESMUDGE
vb. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – to smear, to soil with mud or dirt
• BESMUT
vb. 1. 1610 – to stain, to sully
vb. 2. 1656 – to dirty, to begrime
• BESMUTCH
vb. 1832 – to besmirch; to soil
• BESNANG
vb. Bk1911 Sc. – to crush, to batter, to beat in
• BESNARE
vb. 1571 obs. – to take in a snare; to entrap
• BESOB
vb. 1609 obs. – to soak
• BE SOFT ON SOMEONE
vb. 1840 colloq. – to be amorously inclined toward a person, to have an affection for
• BESOGNE
n. 1. 1615 obs. – a raw recruit
n. 2. 1658 obs. – a low, vulgar, worthless fellow
n. 3. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – business, affairs
• BESOGNIER
n. 1. 1584 obs. – a raw recruit
n. 2. 1588 obs. – a low, vulgar, worthless fellow
• BESOGNIO
n. 1. 1591 obs. – a raw recruit/soldier
n. 2. 1603 obs. – a term of contempt for a needy beggar; a base, worthless fellow, a low, vulgar person
• BESOIGNE
n. 1474 obs. – business, affair, duties, ado
• BESOM
n. 1. c893 obs. – a bundle of rods or twigs used as an instrument of punishment; a birch
n. 2. c1000 – an implement for sweeping, usually made of a bunch of broom, heather, birch, or other twigs bound together round a handle; a broom
n. 3. 1566 – a comet
n. 4. 1790 Sc. & Eng. dial. – a term of reproach or contempt applied to a woman, esp. a woman of loose or slovenly habits
n. 5. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – a simpleton
n. 6. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – a vicious cow
n. 7. 1969 Amer. dial. – energy; zest
vb. 1. a1400 obs. – to sweep with force or violence
vb. 2. 1791 – to sweep
• BESOM-CLEAN
adj. Bk1898 Sc. – clean only on the surface; clean by sweeping though not by washing
• BESOMER
n. 1891 Eng. dial. – a person, of either sex, of loose and slovenly habits
• BESOM-HEAD
n. 1864 – a foolish, stupid person
• BESOM-HEADED
adj. 1864 – weak-minded, foolish, stupid
• BESOM-MAKER
n. 1814 Eng. dial. – a maker of brooms
• BESOM-RIDER
n. 1664 – a witch, from the popular notion that they rode on broomsticks
• BESOM-SCAUPED
adj. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – weak-minded, stupid
• BESOM-SHAFT
n. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – a broomstick
• BESOM-SHANK
n. 1805 Eng. dial. – a broomstick
• BESOM-STAKE
n. 1895 Eng. dial. – a broomstick
• BESOM-TAIL
n. 1678 – a tail formed like a ‘besom’; a bushy tail
• BESOM-TAILED
adj. 1695 – having a bushy tail
• BESONIO
n. 1. 1591 obs. – a raw recruit/soldier
n. 2. 1603 obs. – a term of contempt for a needy beggar; a base, worthless fellow, a low, vulgar person
• BESOOP
vb. 1589 obs. rare – ? to thrash, to lay about
• BESOOTHMENT
n. Bk1888 rare – the act of soothing; its means or resulting state
• BESORE
vb. 17C obs. – to vex, to annoy, to molest, to cause mischief to
• BESORT
n. 1604 obs. – suitable company
vb. 1605 obs. – to assort, to match, to agree with; to befit
• BESOT
vb. 1. 1581 – to affect with a foolish, blinding affection; to cause to dote on; to infatuate with
vb. 2. 1615 – to make mentally or morally stupid or blind; to stupefy in mind
vb. 3. 1627 – to have an intoxicating effect on; said of drugs
• BESOTTED
adj. 1. 1580 – infatuated
adj. 2. 1634 – intellectually or morally stupefied or blinded
adj. 3. 1831 – intoxicated or muddled by a narcotic
• BESOUTH
prep. c1410 obs. exc. Sc. – on the south side of; to the south of
• BESPALL
vb. 1602 obs. – to bespatter with saliva or spittle
• BESPANKLE
vb. 1621 – to bespangle, to sprinkle or adorn with small glittering objects
• BESPAR
vb. a1100 obs. – to shut in; to lock up
• BESPARAGE
vb. 1592 obs. – to disparage
• BESPARKLE
vb. 1485 obs. – to bespatter, to spot
• BESPARKLING
adj. 1648 obs. – sparkling, throwing out sparks
• BESPATTER
vb. 1. 1644 – to asperse with abuse, flame, flattery, praise, etc., to hold in contempt
vb. 2. 1653 – to cover with abuse; to vilify or slander, to calumniate
• BESPATTERMENT
n. 1870 – abuse
• BESPATTLE
vb. 1546 obs. exc. Eng. dial. – to bespatter with anything dirty
• BESPAWL
vb. 1602 obs. – to bespatter with saliva or spittle
• BESPEAK
vb. 1. c893 obs. – to call out, to exclaim, to complain that
vb. 2. a1000 obs. – to speak against; to charge, to accuse; to oppose
vb. 3. c1175 obs. – to discuss, to advise upon, to determine upon
vb. 4. c1314 obs. or arch. – to speak up or out, to exclaim, orig. with some notion of objection or remonstrance; in later times, to raise one’s voice, to speak
vb. 5. c1320 obs. – to promise
• BESPECKED
adj. 1565 – spotted or specked over the surface
• BESPECTACLED
adj. 1742 – having spectacles on
• BESPELT
adj. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – bewitched, mischievous
• BESPERPLE
vb. 1557 obs. – to bespatter
• BESPETE
vb. a1225 obs. – to spit upon, to cover or defile with spitting
• BESPIT
vb. a1300 arch. – to spit upon
• BESPITE
prep. 1842 rare – despite
• BESPOKE
adj. 1. Bk1898 Eng. & Amer. dial. – bewitched
adj. 2. 1931 Amer. dial. – engaged; usually to be married
• BESPOKEN
adj. 1929 Amer. dial. – engaged; usually to be married
• BESPOTTLE
vb. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – to bespatter, to cover with mud or dirt
• BESPOUSE
vb. c1175 obs. – to espouse, to marry
• BESPOUT
vb. 1. 1828 – to recite to, to plague with oratory
vb. 2. 1857 – to utter, say, or recite with pompous elocution
• BESPRAY
vb. 1593 obs. rare – to besprinkle, to bespatter
• BESPRENG
vb. 1. c1000 obs. – to sprinkle anything over; to besprinkle, to asperse
vb. 2. c1529 obs. – to sprinkle about
• BESPRENT
adj. 1. c1368 – besprinkled
adj. 2. 1567 – scattered, strewed about
vb. 1573 obs. rare – to besprinkle
• BESPRENTED
adj. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – sprinkled, splashed
• BESPRING
vb. 1387 obs. – to besprinkle
• BESPRINK
vb. 1609 obs. rare – to besprinkle
• BESPRITZED
adj. 1935 Amer. dial. – sprinkled on, as by a garden hose
• BESPURT
vb. 1. 1579 obs. – to splash or spatter, to befoul
vb. 2. 1603 obs. – to abuse; to sully with vice
• BESPURTLE
vb. 1. 1604 obs. – to asperse with reproach or abuse; to sully with vice
vb. 2. 1618 obs. – to splash or splatter; to befoul
• BESQUATTER
vb. 1611 obs. – to bespatter with filth
• BESQUIRT
vb. 1. 1611 obs. – to befoul by squirting, to splash, to splatter
vb. 2. 1682 obs. – to slander, to calumniate, to defame
• BESS
n. 1. Bk1896 sl. – a short crowbar, used by housebreakers
n. 2. 1965 Amer. dial. – a cow or calf
vb. Bk1898 Sc. – to sew slackly; to baste
• BESSEN
vb. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – to stoop, to bend down; to weigh down
• BESSIE
n. 1. 1942 Amer. dial. – a cow or calf
n. 2. 1965 Amer. dial. – a shotgun or rifle
n. 3. 1967 Amer. dial. – an automobile
n. 4. 2000 UK sl. – a best friend
• BESS O’ BEDLAM
n. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – a harmless vagrant or maniac formerly allowed to range the country; hence, any female of wild or disorderly appearance
• BESSY
n. 1. 1832 sl., orig. US – a gun; often applied to one’s favourite gun
n. 2. Bk1898 Sc. & Eng. dial. – an ill-mannered, romping, or bad-tempered woman or girl; a light-headed girl; an idiot
n. 3. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – a man who meddles in woman’s affairs
• BESSY-BAB(S)
adj. 19C Eng. dial. – childish, foolish
n. 1. 1842 Eng. dial. – a petted, spoiled child; a child who cries for little cause
n. 2. 1891 Eng. dial. – a doll
n. 3. 19C Eng. dial. – one given to childish amusements or silly talk
n. 4. 19C Eng. dial. – a fantastically dressed female; a slovenly, but gaily-attired woman
• BESSYBABISHNESS
n. 1891 Eng. dial. – the whimpering of a spoiled child
• BESSY-CLOCKER
n. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – the black beetle
• BESSY-CODDLE
n. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – a man who meddles in woman’s affairs
• BESSY-FRUGGAM
n. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – a female of slatternly appearance; a man dressed in woman’s attire for mumming or ‘guising’
• BEST
n. 1904 sl., orig. US – a girlfriend or female lover
vb. 1. 1863 colloq. – to outwit, to outdo, to get the better of
vb. 2. 1881 Eng. dial. – to take advantage of, to overreach, to cheat
vb. 3. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – to consider
• BESTAND
vb. 1. c1000 obs. – to stand by or near; to stand over; esp. to stand by the dead, to mourn for
vb. 2. c1000 obs. – to stand round in hostility; to beset, to press hard upon, to harass
vb. 3. c1205 obs. – to surround, to encompass, as a wall, water, etc.
• BE STANDING
vb. 1906 Amer. dial. – to stand up
• BEST BIB AND TUCKER
n. 1747 sl. – someone’s smartest clothes
• BEST BOWER
n. Bk1942 Amer. sl. – in cards: the joker
• BEST BUD
n. 1967 Amer. dial. – a close friend
• THE BEST CARPENTERS MAKE THE FEWEST CHIPS
phr. 1609 sl. – commenting that whores seldom have children
• BEST-CONSULTED
adj. a1659 obs. – most prudent or best-advised
• BESTEAD
adj. 1. c1300 obs. – settled, constituted, arranged
adj. 2. a1300 obs. – placed, located, situated
adj. 3. 1790 Sc. & Eng. dial. – circumstanced, situated, generally in an evil sense; hence, destitute, forlorn; overcome, oppressed
vb. 1. 1581 – to help, to assist, to relieve
vb. 2. 1589 – to be of service or use to; to avail
vb. 3. 1596 obs. – to go instead of, to take the place of
• BESTEAL
vb. a725 obs. – to move stealthily
• BESTED
adj. 1. c1300 obs. – settled, constituted, arranged
adj. 2. a1300 obs. – placed, located, situated
• BESTENTED
adj. 1648 obs. rare – distended
• BESTER
n. 1. 1851 Eng. sl. – a cheater
n. 2. 1862 sl. – one who gets the better of others by fraudulent means; a sharper
• BESTEST
adj. 1893 Amer. dial. – best of all
• BEST-FASHION
adj. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – in good health
• BEST FEATHERS
n. 1965 Amer. sl. – one’s best clothes
• BEST FELLOW
n. Bk1975 US colloq. – a girl’s sweetheart; one’s beau
• BEST FOOT
n. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – the right foot
• BEST GIRL
n. 1. 1887 sl., orig. US – a girlfriend or female lover
n. 2. 1965 Amer. dial. – a maid or matron of honour at a wedding
• BEST-GOODEST
n. 1948 Amer. dial. – a favourite
• BEST HALF
n. 1965 Amer. sl. – one’s wife
• BEST HAND
n. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – the right hand
• BESTIAL
adj. 1. c1400 – brutish, savage, cruel, rude, barbarous, uncivilized
adj. 2. 1447 – like a beast in obeying and gratifying the animal instincts and sensual desires; debased, depraved, lustful, obscene
n. 1818 Sc. – the livestock on a farm
• BESTIALITY
n. 1. c1374 – want of intelligence; irrationality, stupidity, brutality
n. 2. a1656 – indulgence in the instincts of a beast; brutal lust; a disgusting vice, a beastly practice
n. 3. 1879 – filthy language, obscenity
• BESTIALIZE
vb. 1684 – to brutalize, to debase in character
• BESTIATE
vb. 1628 obs. rare – to brutalize
• BESTIE
n. Bk2007 UK playground usage – an unpleasant or despicable person
• BESTILL
vb. 1770 – to make quiet, to still, to hush
• BESTIOUS
adj. 1470 obs. rare – beast-like, monstrous
• BESTIR ONE’S STUMPS
vb. 1549 obs. – to move one’s limbs actively, to exert oneself
• BEST LADY
n. 1965 Amer. dial. – a maid or matron of honour at a wedding
• BEST-LIKE
adj. 1889 Sc. & Eng. dial. – best-looking, most comely
• BEST LOOKER
n. 1911 US – a very good-looking person
• BEST MAID
n. 1864 Sc. & Amer. dial. – a bridesmaid
• BESTMOST
n. 1887 Amer. dial. – one’s best, utmost
• BEST OF BUDS
n. 1967 Amer. dial. – a close friend
• BE STONKERED
vb. 1. 1914 military sl. – to be put out of action
vb. 2. c1918 Aust. sl. – to be outwitted
vb. 3. 1940s Aust. sl. – to be dead drunk
vb. 4. World War II Aust. & NZ services’ sl. – to be in a fix or dilemma
• BESTOURN
vb. 1483 obs. – to turn upside down, to overthrow
• BESTOW
vb. 1. c1374 arch. – to place, to locate; to put in a position or situation
vb. 2. c1386 obs. – to settle or give in marriage
vb. 3. 1393 arch. – to stow away; to place or deposit anywhere for storage, to store up
vb. 4. 1577 arch. – to lodge, to quarter; to put up; to provide with a resting place or sleeping place
vb. 5. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – to put a woman to bed in childbirth
• BESTOW THE ORDER OF THE SACK
vb. c1860 sl. – to dismiss from employment
• BEST PARLOUR
n. 1950 Amer. dial. – the old-fashioned front parlour of a house
• BESTRACT
adj. 1581 obs. rare – distracted
• BESTRAUGHT
adj. 1. a1547 obs. – distracted, distraught
adj. 2. 1580 obs. – distracted, bereft of wits
• BESTRAUGHTED
adj. a1650 obs. rare – distracted
• BESTRAUGHTING
n. 1585 obs. – distracting, distraction of the wits
• BEST RESPECTS
n. Bk1898 Sc. – intimate friends
• BESTRIDE
vb. 1. c1000 – to ride, to mount a horse, etc.
vb. 2. 1526 obs. – to stand astride
vb. 3. 1580 – to stand over a fallen man in order to defend him; to defend, to protect, to support
vb. 4. 1601 – to stand over a place with the legs astride; to straddle over, to bestraddle
• BESTRIKE
vb. 1527 obs. rare – to overspread, to do over, to anoint, to smear, to daub, to rub over with
• BESTRIP
vb. 1065 obs. – to strip clean; to deprive of or take away entirely
• BEST ROOM
n. 1907 Amer. dial. – the old-fashioned front parlour of a house
• BE STRUCK WITH A DART
vb. 1881 Ireland & Eng. dial. – to be struck by the fairies
• BESTRUT
adj. 1603 obs. – swollen
vb. 1594 – to strut or walk pompously over
• BESTRUTTED
adj. 1648 obs. – swollen
• BESTS
n. c1050 – the best people
• BE STUCK IN A DAR
vb. Bk1900 Eng. dial. obs. – to be astonished or confounded
• BESTURTED
adj. Bk1898 Sc. – startled, alarmed
• BEST WAY
adj. 1892 Eng. dial. – better
• BEST WAYS
adj. 1892 Eng. dial. – better
• BEST WOMAN
n. 1965 Amer. dial. – a maid or matron of honour at a wedding
• BESULLY
vb. a1635 – to sully or soil badly
• BESWADDLE
vb. 1. 1598 obs. rare – to beat, to thrash, to ‘swaddle’
vb. 2. 1755 obs. rare – to envelop in swaddling-clothes
• BESWAK
vb. c1505 Sc. obs. – to dash, to strike
• BESWAPE
vb. c980 obs. rare – to envelop, to entangle
• BESWEAT
adj. c1205 obs. – covered with sweat
• BESWEIK
vb. Bk1898 Sc. – to cheat, to deceive
• BESWIKE
vb. 971 obs. – to betray, to cheat, to deceive
• BESWIKER
n. 1340 obs. – a deceiver
• BESWIKING
n. 1340 obs. – cheating, deception
• BESWING
vb. 1571 obs. – to swing about; to hang
• BESWINGE
vb. 1568 obs. – to beat soundly
• BESWINK
vb. 1. c1175 obs. rare – to chastise (probably for beswinge)
vb. 2. 1377 obs. – to labour for, to work for
• BESWINKFUL
adj. a1225 obs. rare – toilsome
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