bework

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UK/bɪˈwɜːk/UK/bəˈwɜːk/UK/biˈwɜːk/US/bɪˈwɝk/

verb

To work around or about; surround.

OriginMiddle English bewurchen ← Old English bewyrċean ← Proto-Germanic *bi- →
Scrabble 15
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Meanings

verbbework (third-person singular simple present beworks, present participle beworking, simple past and past participle beworked or (archaic) bewrought)

present singular third person beworks · participle present beworking · participle past beworked · past beworked · archaic participle past bewrought · archaic past bewrought

  1. transitiveTo work around or about; surround.
  2. transitiveTo work, as with thread; embroider.
  3. transitiveTo work over; rework; edit.

    The author, who knows the answer, beworks his brains to give it in a satisfactory and intelligible form to his audience; [...]

    1882, John Devenish Hoppus, Riverside papers

Origin

  1. Proto-Germanic*bi-
  2. Old Englishbewyrċean
  3. Middle Englishbewurchen
  4. Englishbework

From Middle English bewurchen, from Old English bewyrċean, bewyrċan (“to work, construct, surround with, enclose, cover, work in, insert, adorn”), from Proto-Germanic *bi- + *wirkijaną (“to work”), equivalent to be- + work. Cognate with North Frisian bewerke (“to bework, edit”), Dutch bewerken (“to work, manipulate”), German bewirken (“to bring about, effect”), Danish bevirke (“to cause”). More at be-, work.

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

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Bowker
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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