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beg·gar

(bĕgər)

1. One who solicits alms for a living.

2. An impoverished person; a pauper.

3. Informal A man or a boy.

tr.v. beg·gared, beg·gar·ing, beg·gars

1. To make a beggar of; impoverish.

2. To exceed the limits, resources, or capabilities of: beauty that beggars description.

[Middle English, from Old French begart, ultimately from Middle Dutch beggaert, one who rattles off prayers.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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