Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Language: Old English
Origin: bi-, be-

be-

 prefix
     
be-
1 [in verbs] used to mean that someone or something is treated in a particular way:
Don't belittle him (=say he is unimportant).
He befriended me (=became my friend)
2 literary [in adjectives] wearing or covered by a particular thing:
a bespectacled boy (=wearing glasses)
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

Dictionary pictures of the day
Do you know what each of these is called?
What is the word for picture 1? What is the word for picture 2? What is the word for picture 3? What is the word for picture 4?
Click on any of the pictures above to find out what it is called.

Explore our topic dictionary

Browse the dictionary