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be·set

(bĭ-sĕt)

tr.v. be·set, be·set·ting, be·sets

1. To attack from all sides.

2. To trouble persistently; harass. See Synonyms at attack.

3. To hem in; surround: "the mountains which beset it round" (Nathaniel Hawthorne).

4. To stud, as with jewels.

[Middle English bisetten, from Old English besettan; see sed- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

be·setment n.

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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