Part 967

<p><b>4.</b> <def>To signify; to represent or symbolize; to answer to.</def>

<blockquote>The field <b>is</b> the world. <i>Matt. xiii. 38.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>The seven candlesticks which thou sawest <b>are</b> the seven churches. <i>Rev. i. 20.</i></blockquote>

<note>&hand; The verb <i>to be</i> (including the forms <i>is</i>, <i>was</i>, etc.) is used in forming the passive voice of other verbs; as, John has been struck by James. It is also used with the past participle of many intransitive verbs to express a state of the subject. But <i>have</i> is now more commonly used as the auxiliary, though expressing a different sense; as, "Ye have come too late -- but ye <i>are come</i>. " "The minstrel boy to the war <i>is gone</i>." The present and imperfect tenses form, with the infinitive, a particular future tense, which expresses necessity, duty, or purpose; as, government <i>is</i> to be supported; we <i>are</i> to pay our just debts; the deed is to be signed to-morrow.</note>

<note><i>Have</i> or <i>had been</i>, followed by <i>to</i>, implies movement. "I <i>have been to</i> Paris." <i>Sydney Smith</i>. "<i>Have</i> you <i>been to</i> Franchard ?" <i>R. L. Stevenson</i>.</note>

<note>&hand; <i>Been</i>, or <i>ben</i>, was anciently the plural of the indicative present. "Ye <i>ben</i> light of the world." <i>Wyclif, Matt. v. 14</i>. Afterwards <i>be</i> was used, as in our Bible: "They that <i>be</i> with us are more than they that be with them." <i>2 Kings vi. 16</i>. <i>Ben</i> was also the old infinitive: "To <i>ben</i> of such power." <i>R. of Gloucester</i>. <i>Be</i> is used as a form of the present subjunctive: "But if it <i>be</i> a question of words and names." <i>Acts xviii. 15</i>. But the indicative forms, <i>is</i> and <i>are</i>, with if, are more commonly used.</note>

<cs><col>Be it so</col>, <cd>a phrase of supposition, equivalent to <i>suppose it to be<i> so; or of permission, signifying <i>let it be so<i>.</cd> <i>Shak</i>. -- <col>If so be</col>, <cd>in case.</cd> -- <col>To be from</col>, <cd>to have come from; as, <i>from<i> what place <i>are<i> you ? I <i>am from<i> Chicago.</cd> -- <col>To let be</col>, <cd>to omit, or leave untouched; to let alone. "<i>Let be<i>, therefore, my vengeance to dissuade."</cd></cs>

<i> Spenser.</i>

<syn>Syn. -- <er>To be</er>, <er>Exist</er>.</syn> <usage> The verb <i>to be</i>, except in a few rare case, like that of Shakespeare's "To <i>be</i>, or not to <i>be</i>", is used simply as a <i>copula</i>, to connect a subject with its predicate; as, man <i>is</i> mortal; the soul <i>is</i> immortal. The verb <i>to exist</i> is never properly used as a mere copula, but points to things that <i>stand forth</i>, or have a substantive being; as, when the soul is freed from all corporeal alliance, then it truly <i>exists</i>. It is not, therefore, properly synonymous with to be when used as a copula, though occasionally made so by some writers for the sake of variety; as in the phrase "there <i>exists</i> [<i>is</i>] no reason for laying new taxes." We may, indeed, say, "a friendship has long <i>existed</i> between them," instead of saying, "there has long <i>been</i> a friendship between them;" but in this case, <i>exist</i> is not a mere copula. It is used in its appropriate sense to mark the friendship as having been long in <i>existence</i>.</usage>

<h1>Be</h1> <Xpage=126>

<hw>Be*</hw>. <ety>[AS. <ets>be</ets>, and in accented form <ets>b\'c6</ets>, akin to OS. <ets>be</ets> and <ets>b\'c6</ets>, OHG. <ets>bi</ets>, <ets>pi</ets>, and <ets>p\'c6</ets>, MHG. <ets>be</ets> and <ets>b\'c6</ets>, G. <ets>be</ets> and <ets>bei</ets>, Goth. <ets>bi</ets>, and perh. Gr. <ets><?/</ets> about (cf. AS. <ets>be</ets>se\'a2n to look about). <?/203. Gr. <er>By</er>, <er>Amb-</er>.]</ety> <def>A prefix, originally the same word as <i>by</i>; joined with verbs, it serves: <sd>(a)</sd> To intensify the meaning; <as>as, <ex>be</ex>spatter, <ex>be</ex>stir</as>. <sd>(b)</sd> To render an intransitive verb transitive; <as>as, <ex>be</ex>fall (to fall upon); <i>be</i>speak (to speak for). <sd>(c)</sd> To make the action of a verb particular or definite; <as>as, <ex>be</ex>get (to get as offspring)</as>; <ex>be</ex>set (to set around).</as></def>

<note>It is joined with certain substantives, and a few adjectives, to form verbs; as, <i>be</i>dew, <i>be</i>friend, <i>be</i>night, <i>be</i>sot; <i>be</i>late (to make late); <i>be</i>little (to make little). It also occurs in certain nouns, adverbs, and prepositions, often with something of the force of the preposition <i>by</i>, or <i>about</i>; as, <i>be</i>lief (believe), <i>be</i>half, <i>be</i>quest (bequeath); <i>be</i>cause, <i>be</i>fore, <i>be</i>neath, <i>be</i>side, <i>be</i>tween. In some words the original force of <i>be</i> is obscured or lost; as, in <i>be</i>come, <i>be</i>gin, <i>be</i>have, <i>be</i>hoove, <i>be</i>long.</note>

<-- p. 127 -->

<h1>Beach</h1> <Xpage=127>

<hw>Beach</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt>; <plu>pl. <plw>Beaches</plw> <tt>(<?/)</tt>. <ety>[Cf. Sw. <ets>backe</ets> hill, Dan. <ets>bakke</ets>, Icel. <ets>bakki</ets> hill, bank. Cf. <er>Bank</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Pebbles, collectively; shingle.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>The shore of the sea, or of a lake, which is washed by the waves; especially, a sandy or pebbly shore; the strand.</def>

<cs><col>Beach flea</col> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld>, <cd>the common name of many species of amphipod Crustacea, of the family <spn>Orchestid\'91</spn>, living on the sea beaches, and leaping like fleas.</cd> -- <col>Beach grass</col> <fld>(Bot.)</fld>, <cd>a coarse grass (<spn>Ammophila arundinacea</spn>), growing on the sandy shores of lakes and seas, which, by its interlaced running rootstocks, binds the sand together, and resists the encroachment of the waves.</cd> -- <col>Beach wagon</col>, <cd>a light open wagon with two or more seats.</cd> -- <col>Raised beach</col>, <cd>an accumulation of water-worn stones, gravel, sand, and other shore deposits, above the present level of wave action, whether actually raised by elevation of the coast, as in Norway, or left by the receding waters, as in many lake and river regions.</cd></cs>

<h1>Beach</h1> <Xpage=127>

<hw>Beach</hw>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Beached</er> (<?/); <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Beaching</er>.]</wordforms> <def>To run or drive (as a vessel or a boat) upon a beach; to strand; <as>as, to <ex>beach</ex> a ship</as>.</def>

<h1>Beach comber</h1> <Xpage=127>

<hw>Beach" comb`er</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>. <def>A long, curling wave rolling in from the ocean. See <er>Comber</er>.</def> <mark>[Amer.]</mark>

<h1>Beached</h1> <Xpage=127>

<hw>Beached</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>p. p. & a.</tt> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Bordered by a beach.</def>

<blockquote>The <b>beached</b> verge of the salt flood. <i>Shak.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Driven on a beach; stranded; drawn up on a beach; <as>as, the ship is <ex>beached</ex></as>.</def>

<h1>Beachy</h1> <Xpage=127>

<hw>Beach"y</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Having a beach or beaches; formed by a beach or beaches; shingly.</def>

<blockquote>The <b>beachy</b> girdle of the ocean. <i> Shak.</i></blockquote>