balk
: to hesitate or refuse to proceed; to stop short
"He balked at the suggestion to invest in the risky venture"
From Old English balca "ridge, bank', originally "to leave an unplowed ridge when plowing." Extended meaning "omit, intentionally neglect" comes from the notion of a balk as a hindrance or obstruction. The sense of "stop short in one's course" (as a horse confronted with an obstacle) and "to refuse" developed later
Tags: verb
bane
: a cause of great distress, ruin, or death
"Unpaid overtime is the bane of my very existence"
From Old English bana "killer, a worker of death" (human, animal, or object), also "the devil." The sense of "that which causes ruin or woe" developed later.
Related: baneful. Not related to banal or banality
Tags: noun
bask
: to lie or relax in warmth; to take pleasure from a comfortable situation
"The cat basked in the afternoon sun on the windowsill"
Late 14c., from Middle English basken "to wallow" (especially in warm water or blood; of unknown etymology). The sense of "soak up a flood of warmth" was popularized by Shakespeare in As You Like It (1600).
Related: basked; basking.
Tags: verb
beck
: to make a gesture to encourage someone to come nearer or follow
"She beckoned him to come closer"
From Old English gebecnian "to make a mute sign, signal by a nod or gesture,"
Related: beck-and-call, beckoned, beckoning
Tags: verb
befall
: (of something bad) to happen to someone; to occur
"A great misfortune befell the town after the storm"
From Old English befeallan "to deprive of; fall to, occur to, be assigned to,"
Related: befell; befalling
Tags: verb
befoul
: to become dirty, rot, or decay
"The milk began to foul after being left out in the heat"
From Old English fulian "to become foul, rot, decay," from ful.
Related: fouled; fouling
Tags: verb
bereft
: deprived of something; lacking
"He was bereft of hope after hearing the news"
Past-participle adjective from bereave. From Old English bereafian "to deprive of, take away by violence, seize, rob," from be- + reafian "rob, plunder." Since the mid-17c., mostly used for loss of life, hope, loved ones, or other immaterial possessions
Related: bereaved
Tags: adjective
beget
: to father; to cause to exist; to generate
"Christians believe God begot His only son"
"The king hoped to beget an heir to continue his dynasty"
From Old English begietan, "to get by effort, find, acquire, attain, seize," from be- + get. The sense of "to procreate" is generally used of the father.
Related: begot; begotten
Tags: verb