释义 |
▪ I. behove, behoove, v.|bɪˈhuːv, -ˈhəʊv| Forms: 1 behófian, 2–3 be-, bihouen, (3 -hofen, -heouen, bioue, behafe), 3–5 bi-, byhoue, (4 behowe, byhufe, behowue, behowf), 4–6 behuif, 4–7 behoue, (5 behofe), 6 behooue, (bihoove, behoofe, behuf, behof), 6– behoove, 5 – behove. pa. tense behoved, (4 byhod). For contracted impersonal forms, see bus. [OE. bi-, behófian (corresp. to MLG. behoven, MDu. and Du. behoeven), f. bihóf n.: see behoof. Lit. ‘to be of behoof or use.’ Historically, it rimes with move, prove, but being now mainly a literary word, it is generally made to rime with rove, grove, by those who know it only in books. Cf. prove, proof: behove, behoof. The spelling with -oo- is now restricted to the United States.] †1. trans. To have use for or need of, to require; to be in want of. (Object orig. gen.) Obs.
c890K. ælfred Bæda iv. v, Mycel wund behófaþ mycles læcedomes. c1000Sax. Leechd. III. 440 Þeah þa scearp þanclan witan..þisse engliscan ᵹeþeodnesse ne behofien. c1175Lamb. Hom. 63 Swa bi-houeð þe saule fode. 1483Caxton Gold. Leg. 281/2 Somme sekenes in the legge whiche behoueth a medycyne. 1523Ld. Berners Froiss. (1812) I. 626 One of the most strongest townes of the worlde; for it behoveth mo than ii. C. M. men to besiege it rounde. a1670Hacket Abp. Williams I. 39 (D.) He had all those endowments..which are behoved in a scholar. †2. To be physically of use, needful, or necessary to; (only in 3 pers.). Obs. Object orig. dat.
1154O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1137 §6 Al þat heom behoued. c1175Lamb. Hom. 65 He us ȝeue..þet us bihoueð ulche dei. c1230Hali Meid. 27 Me beheoueð his help. 1297R. Glouc. 177 Ech [erne] ys in a roche hym sulf..Vor hem byhoueþ muche mete. c1350Will. Palerne 2349 Alle harneys þat be hoves to werre. 1489Caxton Faytes of A. ii. xxxi. 142 Gonnes and the pouldre that behoueth therto. c1530More De quat. Noviss. Wks. 90 Labour..to geate that thee and thyne behoueth. 1667Milton P.L. ii. 942 Behoves him now both Oare and Saile. 3. a. To be morally needful or requisite to; to be incumbent, proper, or due.
c1175Lamb. Hom. 109 Þan alden bihouað duȝende þewas. 1387Trevisa Higden (1865) I. 67 Ouþer vnderstondynge bihoueþ of þe ryueres of Paradys, þan auctours writeþ. 1538Bale Thre Lawes 873 Those are perswaded all thynges them to behoue. 1572Forrest Theophilus 358, I will informe him what doth behove in þis case. 1684Contempl. State Man ii. vi. (1699) 190 They informed him of the King's Testament and what behoved him. 1860Trench Serm. Westm. Ab. xiv. 158 If this behoves in the time of a great joy, it behoves still more in the time of a great sorrow. b. To befit, be due to; to belong, pertain, suit.
1470–85Malory Arthur (1816) II. 221 This shield behoveth to no man but unto sir Galahad. 1485Caxton Paris & V. 67 Now see I wel that now me byhoueth noo hoope ne truste. 1502Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W.) i. vii. 56 It behoueth unto all the moost grete clerkes. 1577Harrison Descr. Eng. ii. xx. (1877) 827 We wold haue them in reuerence as to their case behooveth. 1814Scott Ld. of Isles vi. ix, With honour, as behoved To page the monarch dearly loved. 1881Rossetti Ball. & Sonn. 119 To such bright cheer and courtesy That name might best behove. 4. quasi-impers. (the subject being a clause). In early ME. without it, which is now ordinarily used. a. with the thing incumbent expressed by an infinitive, and with personal object: It is incumbent upon or necessary for (a person) to do (something).
c1200Ormin 16706 Bihofeþþ..þe mannes sune onn erþe To wurrþen hofenn upp. c1325E.E. Allit. P. A. 927 A gret cite..Yow byhod haue. 1382Wyclif 2 Sam. iv. 10 To whom it hadde bihouid [1388 it bihofte] me to ȝeue mede. 1485Caxton Chas. Gt. 103 Vs behoueth fyrst to passe. 1591Spenser Virgil's Gnat lix, She..observ'd th' appointed way, as her behooved. 1611Bible Heb. ii. 17 In all things it behooued him to bee made like vnto his brethren. 1649Milton Eikon. iii. Wks. (1851) 355 Wherefore did he goe at all, it behooving him to know there were two Statutes that declar'd he ought first, etc. 1756C. Lucas Ess. Waters III. 341 It behooves the more weakly..to be more cautious. 1792Burke Corr. (1844) IV. 33 It greatly behoved government to keep its temper. 1820W. Irving Sketch Bk. II. 354 It behoved him to keep on good terms with his pupils. 1855H. Reed Lect. Eng. Lit. i. (1878) 28 What books does it behoove me to know? 1952M. McCarthy Groves of Academe (1953) iii. 40 It behooved him to tread warily with Domna. 1955Sci. Amer. Aug. 71/1 It behooves us to know as much as possible about this problem. b. without pers. obj.: It is proper or due. arch.
a1240Wohunge in Cott. Hom. 275 Bihoues þurh þi grace ȝapliche to wite me. 1340Hampole Pr. Consc. 945 God war worthy mare to be lufed Þan any creature, and swa byhufed. 1563Shute Archit. D iiij b, Now it behoueth to make mention of an other order. 1633G. Herbert Agonie in Temple 29 Two..things, The which to measure it doth more behove. 1876Swinburne Erecth. 1452 Yet no pause behoves it make. c. the thing incumbent expressed by a clause. arch.
c950Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. xviii. 6 Behofas [c 975 Rushw. beþearfeþ] him þæt he ᵹehongiᵹa coern-stan. Ibid. John xviii. 14 Behofað þætte an monn sie dead fore ðæm folce. c1200Ormin 17966 Itt bihofeþþ wel þatt he nu forrþwarrd waxe. a1240Sawles Warde 247. 1375 Barbour Bruce vi. 114 And than behufit, he chesit him ane Of thir twa. c1440Gesta Rom. 403 It behouys that the blynde bere the halte. 1533Tindale Lord's Supper 31 It behoveth, that the son of man must die. 1547Homilies i. Read. Script. ii. (1859) 15 It behooveth not, that such..should set aside reading. 1647W. Browne Polexander i. 126 It behooves, likewise, that you give some roome and place to those that speake to you. 1860Adler Fauriel's Prov. Poetry xvii. 389 It well behooves that every faithful friend..should dread to disclose..his passion. †d. the thing incumbent elliptically omitted. Obs.
c1175Lamb. Hom. 75 He nis nawiht alse leful alse him bi-houede. 1502Arnold Chron. (1811) 207 The sacramentis freely to make and bere to whom it behougthe. 1644Milton Areop. (Arb.) 54 If he be of such worth as behoovs him. 5. a. Used, owing to confusion between the accusative and nominative (see first two quots.), as a personal verb: To be under obligation (to do); = must needs, ought, have. Of northern origin, and since 1500 only Scotch.
[c1340Hampole Prose Tr. (1866) 5 Þe nam of Ihesu es helefull and nedys by-houys be lufed of all. c1386Chaucer Pars. T. ⁋557 A servaunt of God bihoveth nought to chide.] c1400Apol. Loll. 31 Swelk men be howuen tak hede. 1475Caxton Jason 76 The..craft that he behoueth to obserue and kepe. 1549Compl. Scot. xv. 131 We behufit fyrst to reueil it. 1637Gillespie Eng. Pop. Cerem. ii. ix. 52 He behooved to offend the Iewes. 1759Robertson Hist. Scot. II. viii. 45 They behoved to esteem them traitors. 1832Sir W. Hamilton Disc. (1853) 101 He behoved..clearly to determine the value of the principal terms. †b. To owe. Obs.
1496Dives & Paup. iv. 24/2 He that moche hath byhoueth moche. And he that hath lesse byhoueth lesse. ¶ error for behote.
1470–85Malory Arthur i. xxxix. 72 ‘Then I behove you,’ said Balin, ‘part of his blood to heal your son withal.’ 1502Arnold Chron. 296 Promyttynge and behofynge by the fayth of his body, worde of his princehode, and kyngis sonne. ▪ II. † behove, byhoue, ? a. or pa. pple. Obs. [f. behove v.] In want. Cf. biheve.
1413Lydg. Pylgr. Sowle i. xv. (1483) 13, I that am poure and hugely byhoue, Of help I pray yow of almysdede. ▪ III. behove obs. form of behoof. |