Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BE-YOND', prep. [Sax. begeond, begeondan, of be and geond, yond, yonder. This is the participle of the verb gan, to go, to pass. It coincides with the D. gaande, the participle of the present tense of the same verb gaan, to go; Dan. gaaende. Literally, then, it signifies by-passing, or by-past; or as we now say, past by, gone by.]

1. On the further side of; on the side most distant, at any indefinite distance from that side; as, beyond a river, or the sea, either a mile beyond, or a hundred miles beyond the river.
2. Before; at a place not yet reached. A thing beyond us, even before our death. – Pope.
3. Past; out of reach of; further than any given limit; further than the extent of any thing else; as, beyond our power; beyond comprehension; beyond dispute; beyond our care.
4. Above; in a degree exceeding or surpassing; proceeding to a greater degree, as in dignity, excellence, or quality of any kind; as, one man is great or good beyond another. To go beyond is a phrase which expresses an excess in some action or scheme; to exceed in ingenuity, in research, or in any thing else: hence, in a bad sense, to deceive or circumvent. Let no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter. – St. Paul.