begird

present singular third person begirds · participle present begirding · participle past begirt · past begirt · participle past begirded · past begirded

1. archaictransitiveTo bind with a band or girdle; to gird.

   1876, William Morris (translator), The Æneids of Virgil, London: Ellis & White, Book 5, line 364, p. 130, Let him come forth to raise his arm with hide-begirded hand.

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   [A] Sagamore with a Humberd in his eare for a pendant, a black havvke on his occiput for his plume, Movvhackees for his gold chaine, good ſtore of VVampompeage begirting his loynes, his bovv in his hand, his quiver at his back, vvith ſix naked Indian ſplatterlaſhes at his heeles for his guard, thinkes himſelfe little inferiour to the great Cham; hee vvill not ſtick to ſay, hee is all one vvith King Charles.

   1634, William Wood, “Of Their Apparell, Ornaments, Paintings, and Other Artificiall Deckings”, in New Englands Prospect. A True, Lively, and Experimentall Description of that Part of America, Commonly Called New England; […], London: […] Tho[mas] Cotes, for Iohn Bellamie, […], →OCLC, 2nd part (Of the Indians, […]), page 66

   He was begirt with a clean linen apron which fell below his knees […]

   1768, Mr. Yorick [pseudonym; Laurence Sterne], A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy, volume II, London: […] T. Becket and P. A. De Hondt, […], →OCLC, page 49

2. archaictransitiveTo encircle, surround, as with a gird; enclose; encompass.

   1717, Arthur Maynwaring (translator), Ovid’s Metamorphoses in Fifteen Books, London: Jacob Tonson, Book 5, “The Story of Perseus continu’d,” p. 148, Perseus begirt, from all around they pour Their Lances on him, a tempestuous Show’r, Aim’d all at him […]

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   […] I will stand my self for the whole Regiment, and safer far in mine owne single valour, then begirt with cowards and with traitors.

   c. 1620s, John Webster, Appius and Virginia, London, published 1654, Act II, Scene 1, pp. 16-17

   Who having round begirt the Palace, / (As once a moth they do the Gallows) / As Members gave the sign about / Set up their throats with hideous shout.

   1662 (indicated as 1663), [Samuel Butler], “[The First Part of Hudibras]. Canto II.”, in Hudibras. The First and Second Parts. […], London: […] John Martyn and Henry Herringman, […], published 1678; republished in A[lfred] R[ayney] Waller, editor, Hudibras: Written in the Time of the Late Wars, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1905, →OCLC, page 42

   [A]nd now I had him every way encircled and begirt; and having drawn him home to me, I kept him faſt there, as if I had ſought to unite bodies with him at that point.

   Fanny Hill

   1749, [John Cleland], “[Letter the First]”, in Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure [Fanny Hill], volume I, London: […] [Thomas Parker] for G. Fenton [i.e., Fenton and Ralph Griffiths] […], →OCLC, page 211

   O lead me to that happy Path, Where I my GOD may meet; Tho’ Hosts of Foes begird it round, Tho’ Briars wound my Feet.

   1755, Philip Doddridge, Hymns Founded on Various Texts in the Holy Scriptures, Salop, page 1

   Theſe manſions, and this fortreſs well begirt, / With lofty ramparts, no vain pomp diſplay.

   1782, Euripides, “[Fragments.] Danae.”, in Michael Wodhull, transl., The Nineteen Tragedies and Fragments of Euripides. … In Four Volumes, volume IV, London: […] Thomas Payne and Son, […], →OCLC, page 225