Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BE-CHARM', v.t. [be and charm.]

To charm; to captivate. – Beaum.

BE'CHIC, n. [Gr. βηχικα, from βηξ, a cough.]

A medicine for relieving coughs, synonymous with pectoral, which is now the term mostly used. – Quincy.

BECK, n.

A small brook. Gray. This word, Sax. becc, Ger. bach, D. beek, Dan. bæk, Sw. back, Pers. بَخْ bak, a brook or rivulet, is found in the Ir. Ar. Ch. Syr. Sam. Heb. and Eth., in the sense of flowing, as tears, weeping. Gen. xxxii. 22. It is obsolete in English, but is found in the names of towns situated near streams, as in Walbeck; but is more frequent in names on the Continent, as in Griesbach, &c.

BECK, n. [Sax. beacn, a sign; beacnian, bycnian, to beckon. The Sw. peka, Dan. peger, signifies to point with the finger.]

A nod of the head; a significant nod, intended to be understood by some person, especially as a sign of command.

BECK, v.i.

To nod or make a sign with the head.

BECK, v.t.

To call by a nod; to intimate a command to; to notify by a motion of the head. – Shak.

BECK'ED, pp.

Called or notified by a nod.

BECK'ET, n.

A thing used in ships to confine loose ropes, tackles or spars; as, a large hook, a rope, with an eye at one end, or a wooden bracket. – Mar. Dict.

BECK'ING, ppr.

Nodding significantly; directing by a nod.

BECK'ON, n.

A sign made without words. – Bolingbroke.

BECK'ON, v.i. [bek'n; See Beck.]

To make a sign to another, by nodding, winking, or a motion of the hand or finger, &c., intended as a hint or intimation. – Acts xix.

BECK'ON, v.t. [bek'n.]

To make a significant sign to. – Dryden.

BECK'ON-ED, pp.

Having a sign made to.

BECK'ON-ING, ppr.

Making a significant sign, as a hint.

BE-CLIP', v.t. [Sax. beclyppan.]

To embrace. [Not in use.] – Wickliffe.

BE-CLOUD', v.t. [See Cloud.]

To cloud; to obscure; to dim. – Sidney.

BE-CLOUD'ED, pp.

Clouded; darkened.

BE-CLOUD'ING, ppr.

Overspreading with clouds; obscuring.

BE-COME', v.i. [becum'; pret. became, pp. become. Sax. becuman, to fall out or happen; D. bekoomen; G. bekommen, to get or obtain; Sw. bekomma; Dan. bekommer, to obtain; be and come. The Sax. be is the Eng. by. These significations differ from the sense in English. But the sense is, to come to, to arrive, to reach, to fall or pass to. (See Come.) Hence the sense of suiting, agreeing with. In Sax. cuman, Goth. kwiman, is to come, and Sax. cweman, is to please, that is, to suit or be agreeable.]

1. To pass from one state to another; to enter into some state or condition, by a change from another state or condition, or by assuming or receiving new properties or qualities, additional matter, or a new character; as, a cion becomes a tree. The Lord God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. – Gen. ii. To the Jews, I became as a Jew. – 1 Cor. ix.
2. To become of, usually with what preceding; to be the fate of; to be the end of; to be the final or subsequent condition; as, what will become of our commerce? what will become of us? In the present tense, it applies to place as well as condition. What has become of my friend; that is, where is he? as well as, what is his condition; Where is he become? used by Shakspeare and Spenser, is obsolete; but this is the sense in Saxon, where has he fallen?

BE-COME', v.t.

In general, to suit or be suitable; to be congruous; to befit; to accord with, in character or circumstances; to be worthy of, decent or proper. It is used in the same sense applied to persons or things. If I become not a cart as well as another man. – Shak. This use of the word however is less frequent, the verb usually expressing the suitableness of things, to persons or to other things; as, a robe becomes a prince. It becomes me so to speak of an excellent poet. – Dryden.

BE-COM'ING, a.

Ornament. [Obs.] – Shak.

BE-COM'ING, ppr.

but used rarely or never except as an adjective. Fit; suitable; congruous; proper; graceful; belonging to the character, or adapted to circumstances; as, he speaks with becoming boldness; a dress is very becoming. Some writers formerly used of, after this word. Such discourses as are becoming of them. – Dryden. But this use is inelegant or improper.

BE-COM'ING-LY, adv.

After a becoming or proper manner.

BE-COM'ING-NESS, n.

Fitness; congruity; propriety; decency; gracefulness arising from fitness. – Grew.

BE-CRIP'PLE, v.t. [See Cripple.]

To make lame; to cripple. [Little used.]