📖 B — The English dictionary · page 22

besiege — Everyday, meaning 1: To surround a castle, town or city with an army so that nobody can get in or out, to make it give up.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To crowd around someone or something, as in «fans besieged the singer».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To send someone very many questions, letters or requests.↗ Example: The army besieged the castle for six months.↗ · The town was besieged and food ran out.↗ · Fans besieged the footballer outside the stadium.↗ · The teacher was besieged with questions about the trip.↗ · Reporters besieged the house after the news broke.↗ · The Vikings besieged Paris in 885.↗ · Our shop was besieged by shoppers on sale day.↗ · Having collected a large army Heracles set out for Euboea in order to besiege Oechalia, its capital.↗ · And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it.↗ (Torah DEU.20.12, JPS 1917)↗ · Go up, O Elam! besiege, O Media!↗ (Prophets ISA.21.2, JPS 1917)↗ · And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.↗ (Prophets 1SA.23.8, JPS 1917)↗ · If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting or mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be; (Prophets 1KI.8.37, JPS 1917)↗

besieged — Everyday, meaning 1: Surrounded by an army that is trying to capture a town or castle.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Surrounded or crowded by many people who want something, such as reporters or fans.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Bothered by a great many requests, questions or problems.↗ Example: The castle was besieged for six months.↗ · The besieged town ran out of food.↗ · The footballer was besieged by fans asking for autographs.↗ · The teacher was besieged with questions about the trip.↗ · Troy was besieged by the Greeks for ten years.↗ · The helpline was besieged with calls after the storm.↗ · So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.↗ (Prophets 2KI.25.2, JPS 1917)↗ · And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah.↗ (Prophets 1KI.16.17, JPS 1917)↗ · At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.↗ (Prophets 2KI.24.10, JPS 1917)↗

besieging — Everyday, meaning 1: Surrounding a town, castle or fort with an army to make it give up.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Crowding round someone or something, or sending lots of requests.↗ Example: The besieging army dug trenches around the walls.↗ · Reporters were besieging the hotel.↗ · The besieging soldiers built catapults.↗ · Children were besieging the ice-cream van.↗ · The besieging forces finally gave up and went home.↗ · And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came unto the city, while his servants were besieging it.↗ (Prophets 2KI.24.11, JPS 1917)↗ · Now at that time the king of Babylon's army was besieging Jerusalem; and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard, which was in the king of Judah's house.↗ (Prophets JER.32.2, JPS 1917)↗

besom — Everyday, meaning 1: (old use, in fairy tales) A broom made of twigs tied to a stick.↗ Example: The witch flew off on her besom.↗ · Some witches rode on an old besom.↗ · I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water; and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts.↗ (Prophets ISA.14.23, JPS 1917)↗

bespatter — Everyday, meaning 1: To splash or spot someone or something with mud, water or dirt.↗ Example: The car bespattered me with mud.↗ · He came home with his trousers bespattered.↗

besprinkle — Everyday, meaning 1: To scatter small drops or bits over something.↗ Example: Sugar besprinkled the top of the cake.↗ · Blood besprinkled the ice.↗

best — Everyday, meaning 1: Better than all others.↗ e.g. "the best player".↗ Everyday, meaning 2: In the most suitable way.↗ e.g. "Do what works best."↗ Everyday, meaning 3: "Your best" means the most you can do.↗ e.g. "Try your best."↗ Everyday, meaning 4: Most liked.↗ e.g. "my best friend".↗ Example: She is my best friend.↗ · Try your best on the test.↗ · This is the best cake I have ever had.↗ · Which shop has the best price?↗ · Who runs best in our class?↗ · All the best for your birthday.↗ · Make the best of a rainy day.↗ · Red is the colour I like best.↗ · However, I will do my best.↗ · the land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and thy brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell.↗ (Torah GEN.47.6, JPS 1917)↗ · he shall dwell with thee, in the midst of thee, in the place which he shall choose within one of thy gates, where it liketh him best; thou shalt not wrong him.↗ (Torah DEU.23.16, JPS 1917)↗ · And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.↗ (Torah GEN.47.11, JPS 1917)↗ · And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.↗ (Prophets 1SA.8.14, JPS 1917)↗ · look ye out the best and meetest of your master's sons, and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.'↗ (Prophets 2KI.10.3, JPS 1917)↗ · Behold, Thou hast made my days as hand-breadths; and mine age is as nothing before Thee; surely every man at his best estate is altogether vanity.↗ (Writings PSA.39.6, JPS 1917)↗

bestir — Everyday, meaning 1: To bestir is to get up and start moving or acting, often after being lazy.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: «Bestir yourself» means hurry up and get busy.↗ Example: Bestir yourself, you lazy old giant!↗ · The news made the youths bestir themselves and set out at once.↗ · It is late, so bestir yourself or we will miss the bus.↗ · And it shall be, when thou hearest the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself; for then is the LORD gone out before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.'↗ (Prophets 2SA.5.24, JPS 1917)↗

bestow — Everyday, meaning 1: (formal) To bestow something on someone is to give it to them, especially an honour, gift or title.↗ Example: The queen bestowed a knighthood on the scientist.↗ · The fairy godmother bestowed three wishes.↗ · The school bestowed a special prize on the caretaker.↗ · Praise was bestowed on the brave firefighter.↗ · The title was bestowed upon him by the king.↗ · Many Christians thank God for the blessings he bestows.↗ · The Water King bestowed praise upon him:↗ · And Moses said: 'Consecrate yourselves to-day to the LORD, for every man hath been against his son and against his brother; that He may also bestow upon you a blessing this day.'↗ (Torah EXO.32.29, JPS 1917)↗ · She will give to thy head a chaplet of grace; a crown of glory will she bestow on thee.'↗ (Writings PRO.4.9, JPS 1917)↗ · And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure-house.↗ (Writings EZR.7.20, JPS 1917)↗ · And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.↗ (Writings 2CH.9.25, JPS 1917)↗

bestowal — Everyday, meaning 1: (formal) The act of giving something, such as an honour, gift or title, to someone.↗ Example: The bestowal of the medal took place in the great hall.↗ · The knight knelt for the bestowal of his title.↗ · Everyone clapped at the bestowal of the award.↗ · The bestowal of gifts was part of the ceremony.↗ · The queen's bestowal of honours is a yearly event.↗ · The story ends with the bestowal of a crown.↗ · The bestowal of blessings was the last part of the service.↗

bet — Everyday, meaning 1: To bet means to risk money or something on what you think will happen, and win more if you are right or lose it if you are wrong.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A bet is that agreement, or the money risked.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: «I bet» means «I am sure» or «I think it is very likely».↗ e.g. I bet it rains.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: «A good bet» or «your best bet» means a good choice.↗ Example: I bet you can't hop on one foot for a minute.↗ · I bet it'll rain on sports day.↗ · «Do you want to come?»↗ «You bet!»↗ · He lost a bet and had to wash the car.↗ · Your best bet is to ask the librarian.↗ · Betting money is only for adults.↗ · Phileas Fogg made a bet that he could travel around the world in 80 days.↗ · "Done! taken!" and so the bet was made.↗ · Bet-Waw-Mem-Peh, between the lips and in front of the tongue.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation)↗ · Alef with them all and all of them with Alef; Bet with them all and all of them with Bet.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation)↗ · It is identical in form with the letter , ("> ol the Arabic alpha- bet.↗ (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914))↗

beta — Everyday, meaning 1: Beta (β) is the second letter of the Greek alphabet, after alpha.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A beta version of a game, app or program is an early version that is being tested by users before the final one.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (science) Beta is used in names, like beta rays (a kind of radiation) and beta-carotene (the orange colour in carrots).↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (slang) «Beta» is used online as an insult for a weak or shy person; it is unkind.↗ Example: β is the Greek letter beta.↗ · «Alphabet» comes from the Greek letters alpha and beta.↗ · My brother joined the beta test of a new game.↗ · The app is still in beta, so it has some bugs.↗ · Carrots get their orange colour from beta-carotene.↗ · In the diagram, angle beta is 40 degrees.↗ · (slang) Calling someone «beta» online is a mean put-down.↗

betel — Everyday, meaning 1: A betel is a climbing plant from Asia whose leaves are chewed with a nut, often after being mixed with spices.↗ Example: The princess's servants found the betel-leaf and began to eat it.↗ · The young Raja asked for a great deal of betel-leaf.↗ · In some countries people chew betel after meals.↗

beth — Everyday, meaning 1: (a name) Beth is a girl's name, a short form of Elizabeth or Bethany.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: The second letter of the Hebrew alphabet, also spelled bet.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: In Welsh and Hebrew place names, a part meaning «house», as in Bethlehem («house of bread»).↗ Example: My best friend is called Beth.↗ · Beth March is one of the sisters in «Little Women».↗ · Bethlehem means «house of bread».↗ · Beth is short for Elizabeth.↗ · Beth is the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet.↗ · Ask Beth if she wants to play.↗ · And to this day the place is called Beth Gellert, or the Grave of Gellert.↗ · So we abode in the valley over against Beth-peor.↗ (Torah DEU.3.29, JPS 1917)↗ · and Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran; fortified cities, and folds for sheep.↗ (Torah NUM.32.36, JPS 1917)↗ · And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Beth-el.↗ (Torah GEN.35.15, JPS 1917)↗ · and Hazar-gaddah, and Heshmon, and Beth-pelet; (Prophets JOS.15.27, JPS 1917)↗ · and Janum, and Beth-tappuah, and Aphekah; (Prophets JOS.15.53, JPS 1917)↗ · and Beth-arabah, and Zemaraim, and Beth-el; (Prophets JOS.18.22, JPS 1917)↗

bethel — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: A place name meaning "house of God" in Hebrew.↗ Example: When Bethel-sarezer, and Regem-melech and his men, had sent to entreat the favour of the LORD, (Prophets ZEC.7.2, JPS 1917)↗ · And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephrain with the towns thereof.↗ (Writings 2CH.13.19, JPS 1917)↗ · Seek the LORD, and live — lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be none to quench it in Bethel — (Prophets AMO.5.6, JPS 1917)↗

bethink — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: To bethink yourself is to stop and think, to consider what you are doing.↗ In Jewish tradition, meaning 2: To bethink yourself can also mean to come to your senses and behave better.↗ Example: yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn, and make supplication unto Thee in the land of their captivity, saying: We have sinned, we have done iniquitously, and have dealt wickedly; (Writings 2CH.6.37, JPS 1917)↗ · Bethink yourself, rogue, and say you are sorry.↗ · Stop and bethink yourself before you act in anger.↗ · He bethought himself of his promise and went home.↗

betide — Everyday, meaning 1: To betide is to happen to someone, usually something bad.↗ «Woe betide» means trouble will come to a person who does something.↗ Example: Woe betide thee, nag!↗ · Woe betide anyone who opens the gate.↗ · No harm can betide you while you are with your guide.↗