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That part of any member of a building which rests upon its supports; as, a lintel or beam may have four inches of bearing upon the wall.

Any four-footed animal, that may be used for labor, food, or sport; as, a beast of burden. A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast. Prov. xii. 10.

To happen to. I beseech your grace that I may know The worst that may befall me. Shak.

By way of preparation, or preliminary; previously; aforetime. They may be taught beforehand the skill of speaking. Hooker.

To leave or to be left. [Obs.] May.

A room in a tower in which a bell is or may be hung; or a cupola or turret for the same purpose.

The first day of May (Old Style). The quarter-days anciently in Scotland were Hallowmas, Candlemas, Beltane, and Lammas. New English Dict.

Any permanent mark to which other levels may be referred. Specif. : A horizontal mark at the water's edge with reference to which the height of tides and floods may be measured.

A canticle (the Latin version of which begins with this word) which may be used in the order for morning prayer in the Church of England. It is taken from an apocryphal addition to the third chapter of Daniel.

on when pigeons are said to feed on bents, before peas are ripe. Bare benting times . . . may come. Dryden.

A ledge at the bottom of a bank or cutting, to catch earth that may roll down the slope, or to strengthen the bank.

To assort or be congruous with; to fit, or become. [Obs.] Such men as may besort your age. Shak.

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.

; to support; to advance the interest of. [Obs.] Weapons more violent, when next we meet, May serve to better us and worse our foes. Milton.

Hence: Morally distorted; not upright. [Poetic] I may be straight, though they themselves be bevel. Shak. A bevel angle, any angle other than one of 90º. -- Bevel wheel, a cogwheel whose working face is oblique to the axis. Knight.

Such as may, or ought to, be bewailed; lamentable.

the sun in 6.6 years. The November meteors (Andromedes or Bielids) move in its orbit, and may be fragments of the comet.

r signers to pay a certain sum at a future day or on demand, with or without interest, as may be stated in the document. [Eng.]

d cleansing it. When a twig is smeared with this substance it will hold small birds which may light upon it. Hence: Anything which insnares. Not birdlime or Idean pitch produce A more tenacious mass of clammy juice. Dryden.