Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
prefix
By, near, next to, around, close to.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic, morpheme, rare
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
Around; about.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic, morpheme, rare
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
About, regarding, concerning, over.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic, morpheme, rare
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
On, upon, at, to, in contact with something.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic, morpheme, rare
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
Off, away, over, across
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic, morpheme, rare
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
As an intensifier; i.e. thoroughly, excessively; completely; utterly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic, morpheme, rare
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
All around; about; abundantly; all over.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic, morpheme, rare
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
Forming verbs derived from nouns or adjectives, usually with the sense of "to make, become, or cause to be".
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic, morpheme, rare
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
Used to intensify adjectives meaning "adorned with something", often those with the suffix -ed.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, informal, morpheme
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h1épsder. Proto-Indo-European *h1epider. Proto-Indo-European *h1pi Proto-Germanic *bider. Proto-Germanic *bi- Proto-West Germanic *bi- Old English be- Middle English bi- English be- From Middle English be-, bi-, from Old English be- (“be-”), from Proto-Germanic *bi- (“be-”), from Proto-Germanic *bi (“near, by”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h1epi (“at, near”). See by, by-. Cognate with Saterland Frisian bi- (“be-”), West Frisian be- (“be-”), Dutch be- (“be-”), German Low German be- (“be-”), German be- (“be-”), Danish be- (“be-”), Swedish be- (“be-”).
