besow

B3E1S1O1W4
/bɪˈsəʊ/

verb

To sow; sow all around or about; scatter; disperse; plant.

OriginMiddle English besowen ← Old English besāwan →
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Meanings

verbbesow (third-person singular simple present besows, present participle besowing, simple past besowed, past participle besown or besowed)

present singular third person besows · participle present besowing · past besowed · participle past besown · participle past besowed

  1. transitiveTo sow; sow all around or about; scatter; disperse; plant.

    [...] is to miss for him all the advantage our civilization is prepared to besow upon his childhood.

    1898, International Association of Factory Inspectors, Annual convention of the International Association of Factory Inspectors

Origin

  1. Old Englishbesāwan“to sow, sow about”
  2. Middle Englishbesowen
  3. Englishbesow

From Middle English besowen, bisawen, from Old English besāwan (“to sow, sow about”); equivalent to be- + sow. Cognate with Middle High German besǣjen (“to besow”).

More words from Middle English, Old English

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

bowesbowse
Cite this entry
APA

besow. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/besow

MLA

“besow.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/besow. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “besow,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/besow.

Source: besow on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.