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Earlier; sooner than; until then. When the butt is out, we will drink water; not a drop before. Shak.

To sprinkle or cover with powder; to powder.

To adorn with spangles; to dot or sprinkle with something brilliant or glittering. The grass . . . is all bespangled with dewdrops. Cowper.

To soil by spattering; to sprinkle, esp. with dirty water, mud, or anything which will leave foul spots or stains.

Sprinkled over; strewed. His face besprent with liquid crystal shines. Shenstone. The floor with tassels of fir was besprent. Longfellow.

To sprinkle with, or as with, stars; to decorate with, or as with, stars; to bestud. "Bestarred with anemones." W. Black.

To strew or scatter over; to besprinkle. [Spelt also bestrow.] Milton.

Liquid for drinking; drink; -- usually applied to drink artificially prepared and of an agreeable flavor; as, an intoxicating beverage. He knew no beverage but the flowing stream. Thomson.

To drink to excess; to revel. [Obs.]

To drink; to sip; to tipple. He was constantly bibbing. Locke.

To drink; to tipple. [Obs.] This miller hath . . . bibbed ale. Chaucer.

Addicted to drinking.

The practice or habit of drinking too much; tippling. Blount.

One given to drinking alcoholic beverages too freely; a tippler; -- chiefly used in composition; as, winebibber.

Of or pertaining to drinking or tippling.

A great drinker; a tippler. [Written also bibbler and bibbeler.]

Inclined to drink; addicted to tippling.

An invitation of friends to drink ale at some poor man's house, and there to contribute in charity for his relief. [Prov. Eng.]

A trinket; a jewel; -- a word applied to anything small and of elegant workmanship.

Small articles of virtu, as jewelry, trinkets, etc.