behetet

A Middle English form of behight. behewt, v. t. [ Al with gold behewe. Chaucer , House of Fame, 1. 1306. behightt (bộ-hit'), v. [The common spelling in Spenser and his contemporaries of both present and preterit of ME. pres. inf. bcheten, regularly behoten , earlier behaten (pret. behight , behighte , earlier beheht , behet , pp. behoten , later behight ), behatan (pret. behet , pp. behäten ) (= OHG. bihaizan , MHG. beheizen ), promise, hat an , command, call: see be -1 and hight2. The forms in ME. were confused, like those of the simple verb. The proper sense of behight is 'promise'; the other senses (found only in Spenser and contemporary archaists) are forced, being in part taken from hight2 .] I. trans. 1. To promise; vow. The traytere e fals and ful of gyle, That al behoteth and nothing halt. Chaucer, Death of Blanche, 1. 621. Behight by vow unto the chaste Minerve. 2. To call; name. Surrey, Eneid, ii That Geaunte e Argante is behight . Spenser, F. Q., IV. v. 7. So, taking courteous congé, he behight Those gates to be unbar'd, and forth he went. IMG:content-1873.png:[blocks in formation] II. in trans. To addre one's self. And lowly to her lowting thus behight . Spenser, F. Q., IV. ii. 23. behightt (bē-hit'), n. [ behight , v. Cf. ME. be het , behot , behat , behat , a promise. See behest.] A promise; vow; pledge. Surrey . behind (be-hind'), adv . and prep . [ hinde , behinden , behind an (= OS. bihindan ), adv. and prep., behind, be , by, + hind an , adv., behind, from behind, at the back: see be -2 and hind3 .] I. adv . 1. At the back of some person or thing; in the rear: opposed to before . So runn'st thou after that which flies from thee, Whilst I thy babe chase thee afar behind . Shak . , Sonnets, cxliii. Corn hill Mag . , March, 1862. 3. In a state in which expenditure has gone beyond income; in a state in which means are not adequate to the supply of wants; in arrear: as, to be behindhand in one's circumstances; you are behindhand with your payments. Having run something behindhand in the world, he obtained the favour of a certain lord to receive him into his house. Swift , Tale of a Tub, ii. 4. Underhand; secret; clandestine. [Rare.] Those behindhand and paltry manœuvres which destroy confidence between human beings and degrade the character of the statesman and the man. IMG:content-1874.png:[blocks in formation] Shak., Venus and Adonis, 1. 1094. 2. Figuratively, in a position or at a point not so far advanced as; in the rear of, as regards progre , knowledge, development, etc.; not on an equality with: as, behind the age; he is behind the others in mathematics. For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles. 2 Cor. xi. 5. In my devotion to the Union I hope I am behind no man in the nation. Lincoln , in Raymond, p. 99. 3. In existence or remaining after the removal or disappearance of: as, he left a large family behind him. What he gave me to publish was but a small part of what he left behind him. Pope. Behind one's back. See back1. - Behind the curtain, See curtain. Behind the scenes. See scene. Behind the times, not well informed as to current events; holding to older ideas and ways. - Behind time, later than the proper or appointed time in doing anything. =Syn. Be hind, After. Behind relates primarily to position; after, to time. When after notes it is le close or exact than behind, and it means position in motion. To say that men stood one after another in a line was once correct (see Chaucer, Knight's Tale, 1. 901, "kneeled.... each after other"), but is not so now. They may come one after another, that is, somewhat irregularly and apart; they came one behind another, that is, close together, one covering another. The distinction is similar to that Two miles be hither Clifden. yond, behind, etc., + hither.] On this side of. Evelyn, Diary, July 23, 1679. behold (bē-hold'), v.; pret. and pp. beheld, ppr. beholding. [ with care. When he beheld the serpent of bra , he lived. Num. xxi. 9. Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. John i. 29. =Syn. Observe, Witne , etc. (see see ); look upon, consider, eye, view, survey, contemplate, regard. II. in trans. 1. To look; direct the eyes to an object; view; see: in a physical sense. Virgin i us gan upon the cherl beholde . Chaucer, Doctor's Tale, 1. 191. And I beheld , and lo, in the midst of the throne stood a Lamb as it had been slain. .. Rev. v. 6. 2. To fix the attention upon an object; attend; direct or fix the mind: in this sense used chiefly in the imperative, being frequently little more than an exclamation calling attention, or expre ive of wonder, admiration, and the like. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. Rev. iii. 20. Prithee, see there! behold ! look! lo! Shak., Macbeth, iii. 4. 3t. To feel obliged or bound. For who would behold to geue counsell, if in counselling there should be any perill? J. Brende, tr. of Quintus Curtius, iii. beholden (bē-hol'dn), p. a. [Formerly often erroneously beholding; Little are we beholden to your love. Shak., Rich. II., iv. 1. We had cla ics of our own, without being beholden to "insolent Greece or haughty Rome." Lamb, Christ's Hospital.