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The act of besetting, or the state of being beset; also, that which besets one, as a sin. "Fearing a besetment." Kane.

One who, or that which, besets.

More than that; over and above; not included in the number, or in what has been mentioned; moreover; in addition. The men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides Gen. xix. 12. To all beside, as much an empty shade, An Eugene living, as a Cæsar dead. Pope.

That besieges; laying siege to. -- Be*sie"ging*ly, adv.

One that besmears.

against a future time; as, to bespeak goods, a right, or a favor. Concluding, naturally, that to gratify his avarice was to bespeak his favor. Sir W. Scott.

One who, or that which, besprinkles.

made directly from cast iron, by burning out a portion of the carbon and other impurities that the latter contains, through the agency of a blast of air which is forced through the molten metal; -- so called from Sir Henry Bessemer, an English engineer, the inventor of the process.

In the highest degree; beyond all others. "Thou serpent! That name best befits thee." Milton. He prayeth best, who loveth best All things both great and small. Coleridge.

r safe keeping; to stow; to place; to put. "He bestowed it in a pouch." Sir W. Scott. See that the women are bestowed in safety. Byron.

One that bestows.

That which is given or bestowed. They almost refuse to give due praise and credit to God's own bestowments. I. Taylor.

To stand or sit with anything between the legs, or with the legs astride; to stand over That horse that thou so often hast bestrid. Shak. Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world Like a Colossus. Shak.

That which is laid, staked, or pledged, as between two parties, upon the event of a contest or any contingent issue; the act of giving such a pledge; a wager. "Having made his bets." Goldsmith.

To allow; to permit; to suffer. [Obs.] So loving to my mother, That he might not beteem the winds of heaven Visit her face too roughly. Shak.

on; to think; to consider; -- generally followed by a reflexive pronoun, often with of or that before the subject of thought. I have bethought me of another fault. Shak. The rest . . . may . . . bethink themselves, and recover. Milton. We bethink a means to break it off. Shak.

To come to pass; to happen; to occur. A salve for any sore that may betide. Shak.

In a short time; soon; speedily; forth with. He tires betimes that spurs too fast betimes. Shak.

To foreshow by present signs; to indicate something future by that which is seen or known; as, a dark cloud often betokens a storm.

To violate the confidence of, by disclosing a secret, or that which one is bound in honor not to make known. Willing to serve or betray any government for hire. Macaulay.