v. t. To better; to mend. See Beete. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ Pg. beatilha. ] An East India muslin, formerly used for cravats, veils, etc. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]
v. t. [ Pref. be- + an old verb teem to be fitting; cf. D. betamen to beseem, G. ziemen, Goth. gatiman, and E. tame. See Tame, a. ]
So loving to my mother,
That he might not beteem the winds of heaven
Visit her face too roughly. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ Pg., fr. Tamil ve&tsdot_;&tsdot_;ilei, prop. meaning, a mere leaf. ] (Bot.) A species of pepper (Piper betle), the leaves of which are chewed, with the areca or betel nut and a little shell lime, by the inhabitants of the East Indies. It is a woody climber with ovate many-nerved leaves. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ F. Bételgeuse, of Arabic origin. ] (Astron.) A bright star of the first magnitude, near one shoulder of Orion.
The nutlike seed of the areca palm, chewed in the East with betel leaves (whence its name) and shell lime. [ 1913 Webster ]
‖ [ Fr., lit. black beast. ] Something especially hated or dreaded; a bugbear. [ 1913 Webster ]