bestead

¹ American  

[bih-sted] / bɪˈstɛd /

verb (used with object)

besteaded, besteaded, bestead, besteading

1. to help; assist; serve; avail.

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bestead ² American  

[bih-sted] / bɪˈstɛd /

adjective

1. Archaic. placed or situated, often unfavorably or in difficulty.

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Etymology

Origin of bestead¹

First recorded in 1575–85; be- + stead

Origin of bestead²

1300–50; Middle English bisted, bistad, equivalent to bi be- + sted, variant of stad placed < Old Norse staddr, past participle of stethja to place, derivative of stathr place

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bestead

Around you call your merry men all    To whom you’ve given bread; For refuge we to the Kirk will flee    Since we are thus bestead.

From Little Engel a ballad with a series of epigrams from the Persian by Borrow, George Henry

But Joseph and Hyrum were harder bestead than ever I have been; and bolder men to boot.

From From Sea to Sea Letters of Travel by Kipling, Rudyard

Then let’s be merry in our God and King, That made us merry, being ill bestead.

From A Life of William Shakespeare with portraits and facsimiles by Lee, Sidney, Sir

Though sore bestead lies Ontzlake, and he could, Right fain were he to save his livelihood.

From Accolon of Gaul with Other Poems by Cawein, Madison Julius

But the occasional honest mechanic or skilled workman in search of employment was hard bestead.

From The Making Of A Novelist An Experiment In Autobiography by Murray, David Christie