betine

B3E1T1I1N1E1

verb

To hedge about; enclose; shut up.

OriginMiddle English betinen ← Old English betȳnan ← Proto-West Germanic *bitūnijan →
Scrabble 8
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Meanings

betine1

verbbetine (third-person singular simple present betines, present participle betining, simple past and past participle betined)

present singular third person betines · participle present betining · participle past betined · past betined · alternative betyne · alternative betune · alternative betun

  1. obsoletetransitiveTo hedge about; enclose; shut up.

    This year began Ida to reign, from whom arose the royal race of Northumbria; and he reigned twelve years and 'getimbered' Bebbanburh, which at first was 'betined' with a wall.

    1904, The Eagle, volumes 25-26, page 325

betine2

verbbetine (third-person singular simple present betines, present participle betining, simple past and past participle betined)

present singular third person betines · participle present betining · participle past betined · past betined

  1. obsoletetransitiveTo set fire to.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
behedge

Origin

betine · verb

  1. Proto-West Germanic*bitūnijan“to inclose, hedge about”
  2. Old Englishbetȳnan“to hedge in, enclose, shut, bury; shut out; conclude, end”
  3. Middle Englishbetinen
  4. Englishbetine

From Middle English betinen, betynen, bitunen, bituinen, from Old English betȳnan (“to hedge in, enclose, shut, bury; shut out; conclude, end”), from Proto-West Germanic *bitūnijan (“to inclose, hedge about”), equivalent to be- + tine. Cognate with Middle Dutch betuinen, Middle Low German betü̂nen, Middle High German beziunen (German bezäunen (“to fence in, surround, border”)).

More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic

Full word history & related roots →

betine · verb

From be- + tine, variation of tind (“to set fire to”). More at tind.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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