Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BEER, n. [W. bir; Fr. biere; Arm. byer, bir, ber; D. and Ger. bier; It. birra.]

1. A spirituous liquor made from any farinaceous grain; but generally from barley, which is first malted and ground, and its fermentable substance extracted by hot water. This extract or infusion is evaporated by boiling in caldrons, and hops or some other plant of an agreeable bitterness added. The liquor is then suffered to ferment in vats. Beer is of different degrees of strength, and is denominated small-beer, ale, porter, brown stout, &c., according to its strength, or other peculiar qualities. Encyc.
2. Beer is a name given in America to fermenting liquors made of various other materials; and when a decoction of the roots of plants forms part of the composition, it is called spring-beer, from the season in which it is made. There is also root-beer.

BEER'-BAR-REL, n.

A barrel for holding beer.

BEER'-HOUSE, n.

A house where malt liquors are sold; an ale-house.

BEEST'INGS, n.

See BIESTINGS.

BEET, n. [D. biet; Ger. beete; It. bietola; W. betysen; L. beta; Fr. bette.]

A plant of the genus Beta. The species cultivated in gardens are the cicla and vulgaris, or white and red beet. There are many varieties; some with long taper roots, and others with flat roots, like turneps. The root furnishes a large portion of sugar, which is manufactured in France on a great scale. Cyc.

BEE'TLE, n. [Sax. bitl, or bytl, a mallet; betel, the insect, beetle.]

1. A heavy mallet or wooden hammer, used to drive wedges, beat pavements, &c.; called also a stamper, or rammer.
2. In zoology, the popular name of a genus of insects, the Scarabæus, of many species. The generic characters are, clavated antennæ, fissile longitudinally, legs frequently dentated, and wings which have hard cases, or sheaths. The bones of these insects are placed externally, and their muscles within. They are of different sizes, from that of a pin's head, to that of a man's fist. Some are produced in a month, and go through their existence in a year; in others, four years are required to produce them, and they live as winged insects a year more. They have various names, as the May-bug, the dorr-beetle, the cock-chaffer, the tumble-dung, the elephant-beetle, &c. The latter, found in South America, is the largest species, being four inches long. Encyc.

BEE'TLE, v.i. [bee'tl.]

To jut; to be prominent; to hang or extend out; as, a cliff that beetles over its base. Shak.

BEE'TLE-BROW, n. [beetle and brow.]

A prominent brow. Shak.

BEE'TLE-BROW-ED, a.

Having prominent brows. Swift.

BEE'TLE-HEAD, n. [beetle and head.]

A stupid fellow. Scot.

BEE'TLE-HEAD-ED, a.

Having a head like a beetle; dull; stupid. Shak.

BEE'TLE-STOCK, n. [beetle and stock.]

The handle of a beetle. Spenser.

BEET'LING, ppr.

Jutting; being prominent; standing out from the main body. Thomson.

BEET'RAVE, or BEET'RAD-ISH, n.

A kind of beet, used for salad. Ash.

BEEVES, n. [plur. of beef.]

Cattle; quadrupeds of the bovine genus, called in England, black cattle.

BE-FALL', v.i.

To happen; to come to pass. I have reveal'd this discord which befell. Milton. To befall of, is not legitimate.

BE-FALL', v.t. [pret. befell; part. befallen. Sax. befællan, of be and fall.]

To happen to; to occur to; as, let me know the worst that can befall me. It usually denotes ill. It is generally transitive in form, but there seems to be an ellipsis of to, and to sometimes follows it.

BE-FALL'EN, pp.

Fallen on.

BE-FALL'ING, n.

That which befalls; an event.

BE-FALL'ING, ppr.

Happening to; occurring to; coming to pass.

BE-FELL', v. [pret. of Befall.]

BE-FIT', v.t. [be and fit.]

To suit; to be suitable to; to become. That name best befits thee. Milton.

BE-FIT'TING, ppr. [or adj.]

Suiting; becoming.

BE-FLAT'TER-ED, a.

Flattered.

BE-FOAM', v.t. [be and foam.]

To cover with foam. [Little used.]