beset

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English

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Etymology

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From Middle English besetten, bisetten, from Old English besettan (to beset; set beside; set near; appoint; place; own; possess), from Proto-Germanic *bisatjaną (to set near; set around), equivalent to be- +‎ set. Cognate with Saterland Frisian besätte (to occupy), West Frisian besette (to occupy), Dutch bezetten (to sit in; occupy; fill), German Low German besetten (to occupy), German besetzen (to seize; occupy; garrison), Danish besætte (to occupy; obsess), Swedish besätta (to fill; occupy; beset).

Pronunciation

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Verb

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beset (third-person singular simple present besets, present participle besetting, simple past and past participle beset)

  1. (transitive) To surround or hem in.
    • 1985, Charles L. Scott, The Genus Haworthia (Liliaceae): A Taxonomic Revision, page 80:
      Vegetatively it is the nearest to H. translucens with its oblong-lanceolate leaves, with the margins and keel beset with pellucid teeth, but it differs and is characterised by the greyish-black quadrantly positioned globose flowers; []
  2. (transitive, sometimes figurative) To attack or assail, especially from all sides.
    • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, [], →OCLC:
      “Nay, for matter o’ that, he never doth any mischief,” said the woman; “but to be sure it is necessary he should keep some arms for his own safety; for his house hath been beset more than once; and it is not many nights ago that we thought we heard thieves about it []
    • 2021 July 28, Paul Clifton, “£67 million Isle of Wight line extension submitted to DfT”, in RAIL, number 936, page 21:
      Track and platforms have been upgraded, but refurbished trains from Vivarail have been beset by software problems.
  3. (transitive) To decorate something with jewels etc.
  4. (nautical) Of a ship, to get trapped by ice.

Derived terms

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Translations

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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

References

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Anagrams

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Afrikaans

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Etymology

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From Dutch bezetten, from Middle Dutch besetten, from Old Dutch *bisetten, from Proto-Germanic *bisatjaną.

Pronunciation

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Verb

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beset (present beset, present participle besettende, past participle beset)

  1. (transitive) to occupy, to fill
  2. (transitive, military) to occupy militarily

Derived terms

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