Dictionary

befang en · VERB

Pronunciation

• [bəˈfæŋ]

Etymology

From Middle English befon (past participle befangen), from Old English befōn (“to surround, clasp, include, envelop, encase, clothe, comprehend, seize, attack (at law), lay hold of, catch, ensnare, contain, receive, conceive, explain”), equivalent to be- + fang. Cognate with Dutch bevangen (“to seize”), Middle High German bevāhen (“to comprehend”).

Meanings

1. (UK, Yorkshire, dialectal, transitive) To lay hold on; seize; grasp; catch; clutch.
   • Come here an' I'll befang thee!
2. (intransitive, obsolete) To take hold on; begin or commence upon.
3. (obsolete, transitive) To encompass; enclose; contain; comprehend.

Forms