behave

What it means

1. reflexiveTo conduct (oneself) well, or in a given way; to conform.

   You need to behave yourself, young lady.

   1 more example

   And the manifest signs that came from heaven unto those that behaved themselves manfully to their honour for Judaism[…]

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Maccabees 2:21

2. intransitiveTo act, conduct oneself in a specific manner; used with an adverbial of manner.

   How did the students behave while I was gone?

   3 more examples

   He behaves like a child whenever she's around.

   My laptop has been behaving erratically ever since you borrowed it.

   Manganism has been known about since the 19th century, when miners exposed to ores containing manganese, a silvery metal, began to totter, slur their speech and behave like someone inebriated.

   2014 April 21, “Subtle effects”, in The Economist, volume 411, number 8884

   Synonyms: deport, tread, acquit

3. obsoletetransitiveTo conduct, manage, regulate (something).

   He did behave his anger ere 'twas spent.

   c. 1605–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v], page 88

   1 more example

   But who his limbs with labours, and his mind / Behaues with cares, cannot so easie mis.

   1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, book 2, canto 3, verse 40

In a sentence

You need to behave yourself, young lady.

Where it comes from

1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁ep-
2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁éps
3. Proto-Indo-European*h₁épi
4. Proto-Indo-European*h₁pi
5. Proto-Germanic*bi
6. Proto-Germanic*bi-
7. Proto-West Germanic*bi-
8. Proto-Indo-European*kap-
9. Proto-Germanic*habjaną
10. Proto-West Germanic*habbjan
11. Proto-West Germanic*bihabbjan
12. Old Englishbehabban
13. Middle Englishbehaven
14. Englishbehave

From Middle English behaven, bihabben (“to restrain, behave”), from Old English behabban (“to surround, embrace, hold, contain, hold back, withhold, restrain”), from Proto-West Germanic *bihabbjan, equivalent to be- + have. Cognate with Middle Low German behebben, behāven (“to receive, acquire, reach, keep”), Low German behebben (“to act, behave”), German behaben (“to behave”).