▪ I. besiege, v.
(bɪˈsiːdʒ)
Forms: 3–6 bysege, 4 biseche, 4–5 be-, bisege, 5 biseige, 7 besiedge, -sige, 5– besiege.
[ME. bi-, by-, besege(n, f. be- 1 + sege(n, aphetic f. asege(n, assiege.]
1. trans. To sit down before (a town, castle, etc.) with armed forces in order to capture it; to lay siege to, beleaguer, invest.
| 1297 R. Glouc. 387 Þys ost wende þuderward..And byseged þen castel syx wouke wel vaste. a 1300 Cursor M. 9211 Twelve moneþ he biseged hit. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 4275 Þyn barons..þat so buþ be-seged on þat tour. 1382 Wyclif Isa. xxi. 2 Steeȝh vp, Elam, and bisege [v.r. biseche] Medeba. c 1440 Gesta Rom. 9 A certeyn Cite..was biseigyd with..enemeys of þe Emperoure. 1595 Shakes. John ii. i. 489 This Cittie now by vs besiedg'd. 1611 Bible 1 Sam. xxiii. 8 Saul called all the people together..to besiege Dauid, and his men. 1671 Milton P.R. iii. 339 Agrican with all his northern powers Besieg'd Albracca. 1844 Thirlwall Greece VII. lx. 67 Antigonus besieged the city for ten months. |
b. fig. and transf.
| c 1600 Shakes. Sonn. ii, When forty winters shall besiege thy brow. 1601 ― All's Well ii. i. 10 The mallady That doth my life besiege. 1608 R. Armin Nest Ninn. 31 Having wrung off her neck, begins to besiedge that good morsel. |
2. transf. To crowd round like a besieging army; to block up, hem in.
| 1686 Gentl. Recr. i. 101 A Planet is besieged, when he is between the Bodies of the two..Malevolents, Saturn and Mars. 1717 Pope Elegy Unfort. Lady 38 Frequent hearses shall besiege your gates. 1789 Jefferson Corr. (1830) 20 The people have besieged the doors of the bakers. |
3. fig. To assail with importunate addresses or prayers.
| 1712 Steele Spect. No. 534 ¶5 There is one gentleman who besieges me as close as the French did Bouchain. 1737 Pope Hor. Ep. i. vii. 29 Fools with compliments besiege ye. 1850 Alison Hist. Europe VIII. l. §45 The ministers were besieged with innumerable applications for every office. 1867 Parkman Jesuits N. Amer. xix. (1875) 293 Pious souls..who daily and nightly besieged Heaven with supplications. |
▪ II. † beˈsiege, n. Obs.
Also 6 beseyge, 7 beseige.
[f. prec. vb.]
Besieging, siege.
| 1552 Huloet, Besiege laier, obsessor. 1599 Hakluyt Voy. II. 15 The besiege of Sagitta. 1611 Speed Hist. Gt. Brit. ix. xxiv. (1632) 1191 The besiege of Inis-Kellen. 1664 Floddan F. iii. 22 Your saults and hard besiege. |