bestrew

B3E1S1T1R1E1W4

verb

To strew or scatter about; throw or drop here and there.

OriginMiddle English bistrewen ← Old English bestrēawian →
Scrabble 12
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Meanings

verbbestrew (third-person singular simple present bestrews, present participle bestrewing, simple past bestrewed, past participle bestrewn)

present singular third person bestrews · participle present bestrewing · past bestrewed · participle past bestrewn · alternative bestrow · alternative bestraw

  1. transitiveTo strew or scatter about; throw or drop here and there.
  2. transitiveTo strew anything upon; strew over or about; cover or partially cover with things strewn; cover with straw or strewing.

Origin

  1. Old Englishbestrēawian
  2. Middle Englishbistrewen
  3. Englishbestrew

From Middle English bistrewen, from Old English bestrēawian, bestrēowian (“to bestrew, besprinkle”), equivalent to be- + strew. Cognate with Dutch bestrooien (“to sprinkle, bestrew”), German bestreuen (“to sprinkle, cover”), Swedish beströ (“to strew, sprinkle, scatter”).

More words from Middle English, Old English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Russian осыпать, покрывать
  • осыпать (osypatʹ)To strew or scatter about; throw or drop here and there
  • покрывать (pokryvatʹ)To strew anything upon; strew over or about; cover or partially cover with things strewn; cover with straw or strewing

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

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Cite this entry
APA

bestrew. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bestrew

MLA

“bestrew.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bestrew. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bestrew,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bestrew.

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