Dictionary

ben en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /bɛn/
• /bɪn/ (pin-pen-merger)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *bōjana Proto-Indo-European *-nis Proto-Germanic *-niz Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-nis Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂-ni-s Proto-Germanic *bōniz Proto-West Germanic *bōni Old English bēn Middle English ben, beneder. English ben From Middle English ben, bene, from Old English bēn (“prayer, request, favor, compulsory service”), from Proto-West Germanic *bōni, from Proto-Germanic *bōniz (“supplication”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to say”). Related to ban. More at boon.

Meanings

1. (obsolete) A prayer; a petition.

Forms

ben en · ADJ · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /bɛn/
• /bɪn/ (pin-pen-merger)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English ben, bene, variation of bin, binne (“within”), from Old English binnan (“within, in, inside of, into”), equivalent to be- + in.

Meanings

1. Inner, interior.

Forms

Deriveds

ben-room · ben-end

ben en · ADP · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /bɛn/
• /bɪn/ (pin-pen-merger)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English ben, bene, variation of bin, binne (“within”), from Old English binnan (“within, in, inside of, into”), equivalent to be- + in.

Meanings

1. (Northern-England, Scotland) In, into.
   • And he was waving to me to creep in, so I just did and then just to skip ben the front and then in the lobby. 2008, James Kelman, Kieron Smith, Boy, Penguin, published 2009, page 32:

ben en · ADV · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /bɛn/
• /bɪn/ (pin-pen-merger)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English ben, bene, variation of bin, binne (“within”), from Old English binnan (“within, in, inside of, into”), equivalent to be- + in.

Meanings

1. (Northern-England, Scotland, not-comparable) Inside.

ben en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /bɛn/
• /bɪn/ (pin-pen-merger)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English ben, bene, variation of bin, binne (“within”), from Old English binnan (“within, in, inside of, into”), equivalent to be- + in.

Meanings

1. (Northern-England, Scotland) The inner room of a two-room cottage (as opposed to the but); the ben room.
   • Bert Kerston was awakened by a steady tap on the ben window. 1972, George Mackay Brown, Greenvoe, Polygon, published 2019, page 25:

Forms

Deriveds

but and ben

ben en · NOUN · etymology 3

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /bɛn/
• /bɪn/ (pin-pen-merger)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English been, from Old French and Medieval Latin, probably from a North African pronunciation of Arabic بَان (bān, “ben tree”).

Meanings

1. A tree, Moringa oleifera or horseradish tree of Arabia and India, which produces oil of ben.
2. The winged seed of the ben tree.
3. The oil of the ben seed.

Forms

Deriveds

ben-nut · ben oil

Synonyms

horseradish tree (tree) · moringa (tree) · drumstick tree (tree)

Translations (3)

ru мори́нга (ben tree) · ar بَان (ben tree) · ru мориндо́вое ма́сло (oil of ben)

ben en · NOUN · etymology 4

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /bɛn/
• /bɪn/ (pin-pen-merger)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Arabic بِن (bin) and Hebrew בן (ben, “son”).

Meanings

1. (capitalized, uncountable, usually) Son of (used with Hebrew and Arabic surnames).

Forms

Deriveds

brit ben · Nickie-ben

Translations (5)

ar اِبْن (son of) · he בן (son of) · lad ben (son of) · fa بن (son of) · ar بِن (son of)

ben en · NOUN · etymology 5

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /bɛn/
• /bɪn/ (pin-pen-merger)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Borrowed from Scots ben, benn, from Scottish Gaelic beinn.

Meanings

1. A Scottish or Irish mountain or high peak.

Forms

Deriveds

Ben More · Ben Venue · Ben Lomond · Ben Nevis

ben en · ADJ · etymology 6

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /bɛn/
• /bɪn/ (pin-pen-merger)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

c. 16th century. Probably from Latin bene or Italian bene.

Meanings

1. (UK, alt-of, alternative, obsolete, qualifier:thieves' cant) Alternative spelling of bene; good.
   alt of bene
   • A gage of ben Rom-bouse, / In a bousing-ken of Rom-vile, / Is benar than a Caster, / Pecke, pennam, lay, or popler, / Which we mill in deuse a vile. 1611, Thomas Middleton, The Roaring Girle:

Forms

Deriveds

ben mort · fidlam ben · ben-cull

ben en · NOUN · etymology 7

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /bɛn/
• /bɪn/ (pin-pen-merger)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Shortening.

Meanings

1. (UK, obsolete, slang) A benefit (performance to raise funds).
   • In the Chronicles of the Stage, some curious particulars are given relating to Sir Henry Herbert and the well-known Sir William Davidson, by which we learn, amongst other things, that a “ben” or benefit at Drury Lane, two centuries ago, was worth a hundred pounds. year?, The Catholic Literary Circular (page 75)

Forms

ben en · NOUN · etymology 8

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /bɛn/
• /bɪn/ (pin-pen-merger)
• (Southern-England) audio

Meanings

1. (Ireland, alt-of, alternative) Alternative form of bin.
   alt of bin

Forms

Relateds

ben-shie · ben-joltram