bespatter

t. [Eng. prefix be, and spatter. ) 1. Lit.: To defile or soil by flinging mud, clay, water, or anything similar at a person or thing. "His weapons are the same which women and children use, a pin to scratch, and a squirt to be spatter."-Swift. 2. Fig .: To asperse with reproaches or calumnies, to fling calumnies against. with many other such like vilifying terms, with which he hath bespattered most of the gentry of our town."-Bunyan: P. P. , pt. i. bě-spăt-tered, pa . par . & a . [BESPATTER.] bě-spăt-ter-ing, pr . par . [BESPATTER.] *bě-spăt-tle, * be-spatle (le as el), v.t. [Eng. prefix be , and spattle = spittle.] "They bespat led hyn and by spitted him."- Bale : English Votaries, pt. *bě-spăt'-tled, bě-spăt'-led (led as eld), pa. par. [BESPATTLE.] * bě spawl, * bě-spaul, bě-spâule, v.t. [Eng. prefix be ; and spawl = to disperse spittle in a carele and filthy manner.) To bespatter with spittle ( lit. and fig . ). "See how this remonstrant would invest himself conditionally with all the rheum of the town, that he might have sufficient to bespaul his brethren."Milton: Animad. upon Remons. * bě spâwled, * bě-spâuled, pa. par. [BESPAWL, BESPAUL] "And in their sight to spunge his foam-be spawled beard." Drayton: Polyolbion, sc. 2. bě-speak', * be-speake, * be-spe-kin, *bi-speke, * bes'peke (preterite be -spoke, + be-späke), v.t. & i. [From Eng. prefix be , and speak ; A.S. besprecan to speak to, to tell, pretend, complain, accuse, impeach; from A.S. prefix be, and sprecan = to speak; spræc , spreca speech, a word; in Dut. bespreken; Ger, besprechen = to bespeak.] A. Transitive : *1. To speak to, to addre . (Poetic.) "The carnage Juno from the skies survey'd; And, touch'd with grief, bespoke the blue-ey'd maid." Pope: Homer's Iliad , bk. v., 874, 875. 2. To speak for or on behalf of, beforehand. Specially (a) To solicit anything, or to arrange beforehand for the purchase of an article before anyone else can engage it, to pre-engage. "Here is the cap your worship did bespeak ." Shakesp. Tam, of Shrew, iv. 3. (b) To apologise for beforehand. "My preface looks as if I were afraid of my reader, by so tedious a bespeaking of him."-Dryden. 3. To forebode, to anticipate the coming of a future event. "They started fears, bespoke dangers, and formed ominous prog no sticks, in order to scare the allies." Swift . 4. To betoken by means of words, sounds, or even by something visible to the eye or cognisable by the reason instead of audible to the ear. "What did that sudden sound bespeak !” *B. Intransitive: Byron: Siege of Corinth, 19. IMG:content-1268.png:[blocks in formation]