beg

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To ask people for money or food, usually because you are poor.

   He begged for food on the street corner.

2. 2
   verb

   To ask someone for something very earnestly; to plead.

   I beg your pardon, I didn't mean to offend you.

Common collocations

• beg off Verb + adverb

Inherited from Middle English beggen, of uncertain origin. Possibly from Old English *becgian, *bedcian, syncopated forms of bedecian (“to beg”), itself of obscure origin. Possibly from Proto-West Germanic *bedukōn, a frequentative verb derived from Proto-West Germanic *bedu (“plea, petition, prayer”, whence English bead). Alternatively from Proto-West Germanic *bedagō (“petitioner, requester, beggar”), an agent noun from the same source. Compare North Frisian bēdagi (“to pray”), Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐌳𐌰𐌲𐍅𐌰 (bidagwa, “beggar”). All ultimately from the root of English bid, which see for more. An alternative…

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images