▪ I. betide, v.
(bɪˈtaɪd)
Forms: 2–3 bitiden, 3–4 bi-, bytyden, 4–5 bi-, bytide, 4–7 betyd(e, 4– betide. pa. tense 3–4 bitidde, 4 bitide, 4–5 bi-, bytidd, -tydde, 5 bytid, beted, 5–6 betyd, -tid, 6 -tyded, -tided. pa. pple. 3–4 bitid, 4–5 betyd, 5–6 betid, 4–5 bi-, betyde, 5–7 betide, 6 betidde, -tidd, (-tight), 7 -tyded, 6– betided, 9 betid.
[ME. bitide-n, f. bi-, be- 2 + tide-n to happen; see tide v.]
1. intr. To happen, befall. Only in 3rd pers. and often impers.
| c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 2358 Sone it was king pharaon kid Hu ðis newe tiding wurð bi-tid. 1297 R. Glouc. 418 He nolde non lenger abyde..tyde wat so bytyde. a 1300 Cursor M. 21723 Has bitid oft mani quar, þat less folk ouercummen þe mar. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 377 Þe casis þat bitydden bytwene..naaman and heliȝe. c 1420 Anturs Arth. i, In the tyme of Arther thys antur be-tydde. 1591 Spenser M. Hubberd 37 A strange adventure, that betided Betwixt the Foxe and th' Ape. 1647 W. Browne Polex. ii. 199 The wounded man..about to aske what was betided. 1765 H. Walpole Otranto iii. (1798) 55 The death of my son betiding while my soul was under this anxiety. a 1802 Pop. Rime attrib. to T. of Erceld. in Scott Minstr. III. 209 Betide betide, whatever betide, Haig shall be Haig of Bemerside. 1870 Morris Earthly Par. III. iv. 3 Who 'gan to tell Mishaps betid upon the winter seas. |
b. Const. dative object; occas. to, unto.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 71 Ac ȝif us eni ufel bitit{revsc} þonke we gode in ure wit. c 1250 Lay. 2237 Wel þe sal bityde. c 1386 Miller's T. 264 A man woot litel what him schal betyde. c 1430 How Gd. Wijf tauȝte D. 174 in Babees Bk. (1868) 45 What-sum-euere þee bitide, Make not þin husbonde poore with spendinge. 1579 Spenser Sheph. Cal. Nov. 174 As if some euill were to her betight [gloss. happened]. 1603 Knolles Hist. Turks (1621) 122 Which calamitie betided unto the Christians. 1832 H. Martineau Hill & Vall. ix. 139 Whatever fortune betides you. |
c. esp. in the expression of a wish. Now almost exclusively in ‘Woe betide!’
| c 1325 E.E. Allit. P. B. 522 Multyplyez on þis molde, & menske yow bytyde. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. iv. 157 Er ich wedde suche a wif· wo me by-tyde. 1633 Heywood Eng. Trav. iv. Wks. 1874 IV. 70 A happy Morning now betide you Lady. 1808 Scott Marm. iii. xxiii, But woe betide the wandering wight. 1868 G. Duff Pol. Surv. (1868) 194 Woe betide the unfortunate shipmaster. |
† 2. To become of (rarely on). Obs.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 3274 For be þis well sal i habide Quat o mi nerrand mai be tide. 1494 Fabyan vii. ccxxii. 246 Howe so it betyde of the kynge. 1594 Shakes. Rich. III, i. iii. 6 If he were dead, what would betide on me? 1675 Hobbes Iliad (1677) 189 What is betide Of th' Argive threats. |
† 3. To fall to as a possession. Obs.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 4035 Þir breþer tuain þam tok to red To dele þair landes þam bi-tuixs..Til esau bitid ebron. c 1430 Syr Gener. 4384 Twoo the best knightes of all oure side, Such twoo shal neuer vs betide. 1587 Byrd Sonn. in Arb. Garner II. 88 If I had Davids crown to me betide. |
† 4. To become or befit (any one). Obs.
| 1554 Philpot Exam. & Writ. (1842) 327 It betideth no man to doubt of the authority..of thilk things. 1566 J. Studley Seneca's Medea (1581) 136 She threates our king more then doth her betyde. |
5. In pa. pple. Circumstanced, beset, begone.
| 1470 Harding Chron. ci. vii, Then with his staffe he slewe hym so betyd. |
¶ catachr. To bode, betoken.
| [Not in Johnson 1773.] a 1799 Cowper Morn. Dream 41 Awaking, how could I but muse At what such a dream should betide? 1850 Prescott Peru (1856) II. 251 The Spaniards doubted..whether it betided them good or evil. |
▪ II. † beˈtide, n. Obs. rare—1.
[f. prec.]
Befalling, event, fortune, chance.
| 1590 Greene Neuer too late (1600) 87 My wretched hart wounded with bad betide. |