Part 588

Be*hav"ior (&?;), n. Manner of behaving, whether good or bad; mode of conducting one's self; conduct; deportment; carriage; -- used also of inanimate objects; as, the behavior of a ship in a storm; the behavior of the magnetic needle.

A gentleman that is very singular in his behavior. Steele.

To be upon one's good behavior, To be put upon one's good behavior, to be in a state of trial, in which something important depends on propriety of conduct. -- During good behavior, while (or so long as) one conducts one's self with integrity and fidelity or with propriety.

Syn. -- Bearing; demeanor; manner. -- Behavior, Conduct. Behavior is the mode in which we have or bear ourselves in the presence of others or toward them; conduct is the mode of our carrying ourselves forward in the concerns of life. Behavior respects our manner of acting in particular cases; conduct refers to the general tenor of our actions. We may say of soldiers, that their conduct had been praiseworthy during the whole campaign, and their behavior admirable in every instance when they met the enemy.

Be*head" (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beheaded; p. pr. & vb. n. Beheading.] [OE. bihefden, AS. beheáfdian; pref. be- + heáfod head. See Head.] To sever the head from; to take off the head of.

Be*head"al (&?;), n. Beheading. [Modern]

Be*held" (&?;), imp. & p. p. of Behold.

Be"he*moth (&?;), n. [Heb. behemth, fr. Egyptian P-ehe-maut hippopotamus.] An animal, probably the hippopotamus, described in Job xl. 15- 24.

{ Be"hen (&?;), Behn } (&?;), n. [Per. & Ar. bahman, behmen, an herb, whose leaves resemble ears of corn, saffron.] (Bot.) (a) The Centaurea behen, or saw-leaved centaury. (b) The Cucubalus behen, or bladder campion, now called Silene inflata. (c) The Statice limonium, or sea lavender.

Be*hest" (&?;), n. [OE. biheste promise, command, AS. behs promise; pref. be- + hs command. See Hest, Hight.] 1. That which is willed or ordered; a command; a mandate; an injunction.

To do his master's high behest. Sir W. Scott.

2. A vow; a promise. [Obs.]

The time is come that I should send it her, if I keep the behest that I have made. Paston.

Be*hest", v. t. To vow. [Obs.] Paston.

Be*hete" (&?;), v. t. See Behight. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Be*hight" (&?;), v. t. [imp. Behight; p. p. Behight, Behoten.] [OE. bihaten, AS. behtan to vow, promise; pref. be- + htan to call, command. See Hight, v.] [Obs. in all its senses.] 1. To promise; to vow.

Behight by vow unto the chaste Minerve. Surrey.

2. To give in trust; to commit; to intrust.

The keys are to thy hand behight. Spenser.

3. To adjudge; to assign by authority.

The second was to Triamond behight. Spenser.

4. To mean, or intend.

More than heart behighteth. Mir. for Mag.

5. To consider or esteem to be; to declare to be.

All the lookers-on him dead behight. Spenser.

6. To call; to name; to address.

Whom . . . he knew and thus behight. Spenser.

7. To command; to order.