Bequeath

Bequeath
Bequeath Be*queath" (b[-e]*kw[=e][th]"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Bequeathed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Bequeathing}.] [OE. biquethen, AS. becwe[eth]an to say, affirm, bequeath; pref. be- + cwe[eth]an to say, speak. See {Quoth}.] 1. To give or leave by will; to give by testament; -- said especially of personal property. [1913 Webster]

My heritage, which my dead father did bequeath to me. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

2. To hand down; to transmit. [1913 Webster]

To bequeath posterity somewhat to remember it. --Glanvill. [1913 Webster]

3. To give; to offer; to commit. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

To whom, with all submission, on my knee I do bequeath my faithful services And true subjection everlastingly. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

Syn: To {Bequeath}, {Devise}.

Usage: Both these words denote the giving or disposing of property by will. Devise, in legal usage, is property used to denote a gift by will of real property, and he to whom it is given is called the devisee. Bequeath is properly applied to a gift by will or legacy; i. e., of personal property; the gift is called a legacy, and he who receives it is called a legatee. In popular usage the word bequeath is sometimes enlarged so as to embrace devise; and it is sometimes so construed by courts. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • bequeath — be·queath /bi kwēth, kwēt̲h̲/ vt [Old English becwethan to speak to, address, leave by will, from be to, about + cwethan to say]: to give by will used esp. of personal property but sometimes of real property; see also legacy, legatee compare de …   Law dictionary

  • bequeath — be‧queath [bɪˈkwiːD, bɪˈkwiːθ] verb [transitive] LAW to officially arrange for someone to have money or property that you own after your death, by writing it in your will: bequeath something to somebody • Sharp left the museum nothing, instead… …   Financial and business terms

  • bequeath — (v.) O.E. becweðan to say, speak to, exhort, blame, also leave by will; from BE (Cf. be ) + cweðan to say, from P.Gmc. *kwithan, from PIE *gwet to say, speak. Original sense of say, utter died out 13c., leaving legal sense of transfer by will.… …   Etymology dictionary

  • bequeath — *will, devise, leave, legate Analogous words: *give, present, bestow: *distribute, dispense …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • bequeath — [v] give in a will bestow, commit, devise, endow, entrust, grant, hand down, hand on, impart, leave, leave to, legate, pass on, transmit, will; concepts 108,317 Ant. take …   New thesaurus

  • bequeath — ► VERB 1) leave (property) to someone by a will. 2) hand down or pass on. ORIGIN Old English, related to QUOTH(Cf. ↑quoth) …   English terms dictionary

  • bequeath — [bē kwēth′, bēkwēth′; bikwēth′, bikwēth′] vt. bequeathed, bequeathing [ME bequethen < OE becwethan, to declare, give by will < be , BE + cwethan, to say: see QUOTH] 1. to leave (property) to another by last will and testament 2. to hand… …   English World dictionary

  • bequeath — UK [bɪˈkwiːð] / US [bɪˈkwɪð] / US [bɪˈkwɪθ] verb [transitive] Word forms bequeath : present tense I/you/we/they bequeath he/she/it bequeaths present participle bequeathing past tense bequeathed past participle bequeathed formal to give someone… …   English dictionary

  • bequeath — [[t]bɪkwi͟ːð[/t]] bequeaths, bequeathing, bequeathed 1) VERB If you bequeath your money or property to someone, you legally state that they should have it when you die. [FORMAL] [V n n] Fields s will bequeathed his wife Hattie and son Claude the… …   English dictionary

  • bequeath — be|queath [bıˈkwi:ð, bıˈkwi:θ] v [T] [: Old English; Origin: becwethan, from cwethan to say ] 1.) to officially arrange for someone to have something that you own after your death = ↑leave bequeath sth to sb ▪ She bequeathed her collection of… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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