"befind" meaning in English

See befind in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Forms: befinds [present, singular, third-person], befinding [participle, present], befound [participle, past], befound [past]
Etymology: From Middle English befinden, bifinden, equivalent to be- + find. Cognate with Saterland Frisian befiende (“to be located, befind”), Dutch bevinden (“to find”), German befinden (“to be, be located”), Swedish befinna (“to find, be”). Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|befinden}} Middle English befinden, {{m|enm|bifinden}} bifinden, {{prefix|en|be|find}} be- + find, {{cog|stq|befiende|t=to be located, befind}} Saterland Frisian befiende (“to be located, befind”), {{cog|nl|bevinden|t=to find}} Dutch bevinden (“to find”), {{cog|de|befinden|t=to be, be located}} German befinden (“to be, be located”), {{cog|sv|befinna|t=to find, be}} Swedish befinna (“to find, be”) Head templates: {{en-verb|befinds|befinding|befound}} befind (third-person singular simple present befinds, present participle befinding, simple past and past participle befound)
  1. (transitive, archaic) To find; discover. Tags: archaic, transitive
    Sense id: en-befind-en-verb-rALt55Do Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms prefixed with be- Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 51 22 27 Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with be-: 36 28 35
  2. (transitive, obsolete) To invent; contrive. Tags: obsolete, transitive
    Sense id: en-befind-en-verb-GCOrE9qL Categories (other): English terms prefixed with be- Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with be-: 36 28 35
  3. (passive voice, obsolete) To be found; be. Tags: obsolete
    Sense id: en-befind-en-verb-tuUMwDWL Categories (other): English terms prefixed with be- Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with be-: 36 28 35

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for befind meaning in English (3.5kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "befinden"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English befinden",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "bifinden"
      },
      "expansion": "bifinden",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "be",
        "3": "find"
      },
      "expansion": "be- + find",
      "name": "prefix"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "stq",
        "2": "befiende",
        "t": "to be located, befind"
      },
      "expansion": "Saterland Frisian befiende (“to be located, befind”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "bevinden",
        "t": "to find"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch bevinden (“to find”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "befinden",
        "t": "to be, be located"
      },
      "expansion": "German befinden (“to be, be located”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "befinna",
        "t": "to find, be"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish befinna (“to find, be”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English befinden, bifinden, equivalent to be- + find. Cognate with Saterland Frisian befiende (“to be located, befind”), Dutch bevinden (“to find”), German befinden (“to be, be located”), Swedish befinna (“to find, be”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "befinds",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "befinding",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "befound",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "befound",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "befinds",
        "2": "befinding",
        "3": "befound"
      },
      "expansion": "befind (third-person singular simple present befinds, present participle befinding, simple past and past participle befound)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "51 22 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "36 28 35",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with be-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1898, Maurice Maeterlinck, Wisdom and Destiny, page 4",
          "text": "It is well that the thinker should give his thoughts to the world, though it must be admitted that wisdom befinds itself sometimes in the reverse of the sage's pronouncement.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1966, Johann Melchior Dinglinger, Joachim Menzhausen, At the court of the Great Mogul, page 52",
          "text": "Farther in the height befinds itself […]",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2009, A. J. Marshall, The Bastion Prosecutor: Episode 3",
          "text": "Until after a full celestial epoch, the fairest place was befound and it was bequest them.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To find; discover."
      ],
      "id": "en-befind-en-verb-rALt55Do",
      "links": [
        [
          "find",
          "find"
        ],
        [
          "discover",
          "discover"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, archaic) To find; discover."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "36 28 35",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with be-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To invent; contrive."
      ],
      "id": "en-befind-en-verb-GCOrE9qL",
      "links": [
        [
          "invent",
          "invent"
        ],
        [
          "contrive",
          "contrive"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, obsolete) To invent; contrive."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "36 28 35",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with be-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To be found; be."
      ],
      "id": "en-befind-en-verb-tuUMwDWL",
      "links": [
        [
          "be",
          "be"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "passive voice",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(passive voice, obsolete) To be found; be."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "befind"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms prefixed with be-",
    "English verbs"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "befinden"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English befinden",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "bifinden"
      },
      "expansion": "bifinden",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "be",
        "3": "find"
      },
      "expansion": "be- + find",
      "name": "prefix"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "stq",
        "2": "befiende",
        "t": "to be located, befind"
      },
      "expansion": "Saterland Frisian befiende (“to be located, befind”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "bevinden",
        "t": "to find"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch bevinden (“to find”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "befinden",
        "t": "to be, be located"
      },
      "expansion": "German befinden (“to be, be located”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "befinna",
        "t": "to find, be"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish befinna (“to find, be”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English befinden, bifinden, equivalent to be- + find. Cognate with Saterland Frisian befiende (“to be located, befind”), Dutch bevinden (“to find”), German befinden (“to be, be located”), Swedish befinna (“to find, be”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "befinds",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "befinding",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "befound",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "befound",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "befinds",
        "2": "befinding",
        "3": "befound"
      },
      "expansion": "befind (third-person singular simple present befinds, present participle befinding, simple past and past participle befound)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with archaic senses",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1898, Maurice Maeterlinck, Wisdom and Destiny, page 4",
          "text": "It is well that the thinker should give his thoughts to the world, though it must be admitted that wisdom befinds itself sometimes in the reverse of the sage's pronouncement.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1966, Johann Melchior Dinglinger, Joachim Menzhausen, At the court of the Great Mogul, page 52",
          "text": "Farther in the height befinds itself […]",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2009, A. J. Marshall, The Bastion Prosecutor: Episode 3",
          "text": "Until after a full celestial epoch, the fairest place was befound and it was bequest them.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To find; discover."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "find",
          "find"
        ],
        [
          "discover",
          "discover"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, archaic) To find; discover."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with obsolete senses",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To invent; contrive."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "invent",
          "invent"
        ],
        [
          "contrive",
          "contrive"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, obsolete) To invent; contrive."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with obsolete senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To be found; be."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "be",
          "be"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "passive voice",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(passive voice, obsolete) To be found; be."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "befind"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-05 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.