begad

w

mam

2 to talk about sth as if it were definitely true, even though it might not be ® ^ : These assumptions beg

the question that children learn languages more easily than adults.

₀ I beg to differ used to say politely that you do not agree with sth that has just been said

I beg your pardon 1 (formal) used to tell sb that you are sorry for sth you have said or done if if'

W; ft I beg your pardon, I thought that was my

coatM^fe, 2 used to ask

sb to repeat what they have just said because’ you did not hear < ) if Sift—lit: ‘It’s on Duke Street.’

‘I beg your pardon. ’ ‘Duke Street. ’ “ JH !!• A ^ ± ₀ ”

“if#i^—iSo “ASIA#7 ” 3 (especially BrE) used to tell sb that you are offended by what they have just said or by the way that they have said it ( fg£ ill M 1 ®

Rfi# ) : ‘Just go away.’‘I beg your pardon!’ Jf₀ ”

— j8s! ” lasin^i ,beg ‘off to say that you are unable to do sth that you have agreed to do j§# ( B^

: He’s always begging off at the last

minute.

begad /bi'gaed/ exclamation (old use) used to express surprise or for emphasis 63

began pt of begin

beget /bi'get/ verb (be-get-ting, begot, begot /bi'gnt; NAmE -gait/ In sense l begat /bi’gaet/ is used for

the past tense, and be-got-ten /bi'gntn/ /-'gaitn/ is used for the past participle. % 1 A63MAAh1 begat, MA# isl^j begotten₀ ) [VN] 1 (old use, for example in the Bible IRfj'A, tf) to become the father of a child

Isaac begat Jacob. 2 (formal

or old-fashioned) to make sth happen 31 A ; 3k : Violence begets violence. H tj Sfc H A „ ► be-getter noun

beg-gar /'bega(r)/ noun, verb

s noun 1 a person who lives by asking people for money or food £ ^ ; nM VL 7 2 (BrE, informal) used with an adjective to describe sb in a particular way ( j/E ih ) Mtk ■ Aren’t you dressed yet, you lazy beggar?

fll $. 2 A W IK ? Kl , beggars can’t be choosers (saying) people say beggars can’t be choosers when there is no choice and sb must be satisfied with what is available Iln\\^;A ^ — more at wish n.

m verb [VN] to make sb/sth very poor ££ Ik A; {$* K .2.:

Why should I beggar myself for you? Aif A If A jfo ft ? C2S3 beggar be'lief/de'scription to be too extreme, shocking, etc. to believe/describe $£ tU in;

■■ It beggars belief how things could have got this bad. jtJMiugft,

beg-gar-ly /'begali; NAmE -garli/ adj. (literary) very small in amount jjtfc J| 63; A # Rj # 63

,beggar-my-'neighbour noun [u] a card game for two players in which the players try to win each other’s cards i&4BJg ( WAE63«M, )

begin b-«r /bi'gin/ verb (be-ginning, began /bi'gaen/, begun /bi'gAn/)

1 to start doing sth; to do the first part of sth Jf if;

Juttj: [VN] We began work on the project in May.

£ j| ffr B *3 7 iiM I fi ₀ 07 began (= started reading) this novel last month and I still haven’t finished it. ^ ±

o He always

begins his lessons with a warm-up exercise. itfcijtiJI Ft3&li 9c it ^ 4 M ^ >| gg „ o He began his political career as a student (= when he was a student).

o M Shall I begin?

7 ? O Let’s begin at page 9. ngf]/Af£ 9 KTFifo 0

She began by thanking us all for coming.

A M 63 3\ A B it o 0 [V to i nf] 7 began to feel dizzy.

$c JF ip $ PJ A # @ o o At last the guests began to arrive. ^ACI^-7P®^PJj*7» 0 She began to cry. *

® A 7 o 0 It was beginning to snow. Jf T If 7 „ o 7 was beginning to think you’d never come. JkJfffilcX A# Ji7^-5|t7o 0 [V -ing] Everyone began talking at once. I AlklojBtJF^ijHfo 0 When will you begin recruiting?

c> note at start 2 [V] to start