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be·hoove

(bĭ-hv)

v. be·hooved, be·hoov·ing, be·hooves

v.tr.

To be necessary or proper for: It behooves you at least to try.

v.intr.

To be necessary or proper.

[Middle English behoven, from Old English behōfian; see kap- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

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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