beg

beg
verb (begs, begging, begged)
1》 ask (someone) earnestly or humbly for something.
    ↘ask for (something) earnestly or humbly: he begged their forgiveness.
    ↘(beg off) withdraw from a promise or undertaking.
2》 ask for food or money as charity.
3》 (of a dog) sit up with the front paws raised expectantly in the hope of a reward.
Phrases
beg the question
1》 (of a fact or action) invite an obvious question or point.
2》 assume the truth of an argument or proposition to be proved, without arguing it.
beg yours Austral./NZ I beg your pardon.
go begging (of an article or opportunity) be available because unwanted by others.
Origin
ME: prob. from OE bedecian, of Gmc origin.
Usage
The original meaning of the phrase beg the question is ‘assume the truth of an argument or proposition to be proved’. To some traditionalists this is still the only correct meaning. However, over the last 100 years or so another use has arisen: ‘invite an obvious question’. This is by far the commonest use today and is widely accepted.

English new terms dictionary. 2014.

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  • beg — [beg] v past tense and past participle begged present participle begging ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(ask)¦ 2¦(money/food)¦ 3¦(animal)¦ 4 I beg your pardon 5 I beg to differ 6 beg the question 7 be going begging 8 beg, borrow, or steal ▬▬▬▬▬ …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • beg — [ beg ] verb ** 1. ) intransitive or transitive to ask for help, an opportunity, etc. in a way that shows you want it very much: Don t go! he begged. beg someone (not) to do something: She had written a letter begging him to come back. We begged… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Beg — Beg, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Begged}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Begging}.] [OE. beggen, perh. fr. AS. bedecian (akin to Goth. bedagwa beggar), biddan to ask. (Cf. {Bid}, v. t.); or cf. beghard, beguin.] 1. To ask earnestly for; to entreat or supplicate for;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • beg — [beg] vt. begged, begging [ME beggen < Anglo Fr begger < begart < OFr begard, religious mendicant < MDu beggaert] 1. to ask for as charity or as a gift [he begged a dime] 2. to ask for earnestly as a kindness or favor vi. 1. to ask… …   English World dictionary

  • beg — (v.) c.1200, perhaps from O.E. bedecian to beg, from P.Gmc. *beth ; or possibly from Anglo Fr. begger, from O.Fr. begart (see BEGGAR (Cf. beggar)). The O.E. word for beg was wædlian, from wædl poverty. Of trained dogs, 1816. As a courteous mode… …   Etymology dictionary

  • beg — ► VERB (begged, begging) 1) ask earnestly or humbly for something. 2) ask for food or money as charity. 3) (of a dog) sit up with the front paws raised in the hope of a reward. ● beg off Cf. ↑beg off …   English terms dictionary

  • Beg — refers to: * Begging * Beg or Baig an alternative form of the Turkic title Bey (chieftain, governor etc). It is also used by Iranian, Afghan and Pakistani people. * BEG is the IATA abbreviation for Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport * Beg , a song… …   Wikipedia

  • beg — bȅg m <N mn bègovi/bȅzi jez. knjiž.> DEFINICIJA 1. pov. a. plemićki naslov u Osmanskom Carstvu b. visoki vojni ili civilni dostojanstvenik [alajbeg; beglerbeg; sandžak beg] 2. reg. gospodin, gospodar, ugledan čovjek, dodaje se iza vlastitog …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • Beg — Beg, n. [Turk. beg, pronounced bay. Cf. {Bey}, {Begum}.] A title of honor in Turkey and in some other parts of the East; a bey. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Beg — Beg, v. i. To ask alms or charity, especially to ask habitually by the wayside or from house to house; to live by asking alms. [1913 Webster] I can not dig; to beg I am ashamed. Luke xvi. 3. [1913 Webster] || …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • BEG — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. {{{image}}}   Sigles d une seule lettre   Sigles de deux lettres > Sigles de trois lettres …   Wikipédia en Français

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