Meanings
bield1
plural bields · alternative beeld · alternative beild
- obsoleteuncountableusuallyBoldness, courage; confidence; a feeling of security, assurance.
- Northern Englandarchaicuncountableusuallyobsolete elsewhereShelter, refuge or protection.
This breast, this bosom soft, shall be thy bield / 'Gainst storms of arrows, darts, and weapons thrown.
1600, Edward Fairfax, The Jerusalem Delivered of Tasso, Book XVI, xlix
bield2
present singular third person bields · participle present bielding · participle past bielded · past bielded · alternative beeld · alternative beild
- dialectalobsoletetransitiveTo make bold, give courage or confidence to.
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
bield · noun
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰel-“to inflate, swell”
- Proto-Germanic*balþį̄“boldness”
- Old Englishbieldu“courage, boldness”
- Middle Englishbelde
- Englishbield
From Middle English belde, beeld, beld, from Old English bieldu (“courage, boldness”), from Proto-Germanic *balþį̄ (“boldness”), from *balþaz (“bold”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to inflate, swell”). Cognate with Old High German baldī (“boldness, courage”) (Middle High German belde), Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌻𐌸𐌴𐌹 (balþei, “boldness, courage”). More at bold.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →bield · verb
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰel-“to inflate, swell”
- Proto-Germanic*balþijaną“to make bold”
- Old Englishbyldan
- Middle Englishbeelden
- Englishbield
From Middle English beelden, belden, from Old English byldan, bieldan (“to encourage, embolden”), from Proto-Germanic *balþijaną (“to make bold”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to inflate, swell”). Cognate with Old Saxon beldjan (“to encourage”), Old High German baldēn (“to make bold”) (Middle High German belden), Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌻𐌸𐌾𐌰𐌽 (balþjan, “to make bold”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with bield
Anagrams
Cite this entry
bield. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bield
“bield.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bield. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bield,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bield.
Source: bield on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.