bestead

1 of 2

adjective

be·​stead bi-ˈsted How to pronounce bestead (audio)
variants or bested
archaic
: situated

bestead

2 of 2

verb

besteaded; bestead; besteading

transitive verb

1
archaic : help
2
archaic : to be useful to : avail

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English bested, from be- + sted, past participle of steden to place, from stede place — more at stead entry 1

Verb

be- + stead

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of bestead was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near bestead

best-case

bestead

best-efforts

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Bestead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bestead. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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