▪ I. behove, behoove, v.
(bɪˈhuːv, -ˈhəʊv)
Forms: 1 behófian, 2–3 be-, bihouen, (3 -hofen, -heouen, bioue, behafe), 3–5 bi-, byhoue, (4 behowe, byhufe, behowue, behowf), 4–6 behuif, 4–7 behoue, (5 behofe), 6 behooue, (bihoove, behoofe, behuf, behof), 6– behoove, 5 – behove. pa. tense behoved, (4 byhod). For contracted impersonal forms, see bus.
[OE. bi-, behófian (corresp. to MLG. behoven, MDu. and Du. behoeven), f. bihóf n.: see behoof. Lit. ‘to be of behoof or use.’ Historically, it rimes with move, prove, but being now mainly a literary word, it is generally made to rime with rove, grove, by those who know it only in books. Cf. prove, proof: behove, behoof. The spelling with -oo- is now restricted to the United States.]
† 1. trans. To have use for or need of, to require; to be in want of. (Object orig. gen.) Obs.
| c 890 K. ælfred Bæda iv. v, Mycel wund behófaþ mycles læcedomes. c 1000 Sax. Leechd. III. 440 Þeah þa scearp þanclan witan..þisse engliscan ᵹeþeodnesse ne behofien. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 63 Swa bi-houeð þe saule fode. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 281/2 Somme sekenes in the legge whiche behoueth a medycyne. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. (1812) I. 626 One of the most strongest townes of the worlde; for it behoveth mo than ii. C. M. men to besiege it rounde. a 1670 Hacket Abp. Williams I. 39 (D.) He had all those endowments..which are behoved in a scholar. |
† 2. To be physically of use, needful, or necessary to; (only in 3 pers.). Obs. Object orig. dat.
| 1154 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1137 §6 Al þat heom behoued. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 65 He us ȝeue..þet us bihoueð ulche dei. c 1230 Hali Meid. 27 Me beheoueð his help. 1297 R. Glouc. 177 Ech [erne] ys in a roche hym sulf..Vor hem byhoueþ muche mete. c 1350 Will. Palerne 2349 Alle harneys þat be hoves to werre. 1489 Caxton Faytes of A. ii. xxxi. 142 Gonnes and the pouldre that behoueth therto. c 1530 More De quat. Noviss. Wks. 90 Labour..to geate that thee and thyne behoueth. 1667 Milton P.L. ii. 942 Behoves him now both Oare and Saile. |
3. a. To be morally needful or requisite to; to be incumbent, proper, or due.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 109 Þan alden bihouað duȝende þewas. 1387 Trevisa Higden (1865) I. 67 Ouþer vnderstondynge bihoueþ of þe ryueres of Paradys, þan auctours writeþ. 1538 Bale Thre Lawes 873 Those are perswaded all thynges them to behoue. 1572 Forrest Theophilus 358, I will informe him what doth behove in þis case. 1684 Contempl. State Man ii. vi. (1699) 190 They informed him of the King's Testament and what behoved him. 1860 Trench Serm. Westm. Ab. xiv. 158 If this behoves in the time of a great joy, it behoves still more in the time of a great sorrow. |
b. To befit, be due to; to belong, pertain, suit.
| 1470–85 Malory Arthur (1816) II. 221 This shield behoveth to no man but unto sir Galahad. 1485 Caxton Paris & V. 67 Now see I wel that now me byhoueth noo hoope ne truste. 1502 Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W.) i. vii. 56 It behoueth unto all the moost grete clerkes. 1577 Harrison Descr. Eng. ii. xx. (1877) 827 We wold haue them in reuerence as to their case behooveth. 1814 Scott Ld. of Isles vi. ix, With honour, as behoved To page the monarch dearly loved. 1881 Rossetti Ball. & Sonn. 119 To such bright cheer and courtesy That name might best behove. |
4. quasi-impers. (the subject being a clause). In early ME. without it, which is now ordinarily used. a. with the thing incumbent expressed by an infinitive, and with personal object: It is incumbent upon or necessary for (a person) to do (something).
| c 1200 Ormin 16706 Bihofeþþ..þe mannes sune onn erþe To wurrþen hofenn upp. c 1325 E.E. Allit. P. A. 927 A gret cite..Yow byhod haue. 1382 Wyclif 2 Sam. iv. 10 To whom it hadde bihouid [1388 it bihofte] me to ȝeue mede. 1485 Caxton Chas. Gt. 103 Vs behoueth fyrst to passe. 1591 Spenser Virgil's Gnat lix, She..observ'd th' appointed way, as her behooved. 1611 Bible Heb. ii. 17 In all things it behooued him to bee made like vnto his brethren. 1649 Milton Eikon. iii. Wks. (1851) 355 Wherefore did he goe at all, it behooving him to know there were two Statutes that declar'd he ought first, etc. 1756 C. Lucas Ess. Waters III. 341 It behooves the more weakly..to be more cautious. 1792 Burke Corr. (1844) IV. 33 It greatly behoved government to keep its temper. 1820 W. Irving Sketch Bk. II. 354 It behoved him to keep on good terms with his pupils. 1855 H. Reed Lect. Eng. Lit. i. (1878) 28 What books does it behoove me to know? 1952 M. McCarthy Groves of Academe (1953) iii. 40 It behooved him to tread warily with Domna. 1955 Sci. Amer. Aug. 71/1 It behooves us to know as much as possible about this problem. |
b. without pers. obj.: It is proper or due. arch.
| a 1240 Wohunge in Cott. Hom. 275 Bihoues þurh þi grace ȝapliche to wite me. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 945 God war worthy mare to be lufed Þan any creature, and swa byhufed. 1563 Shute Archit. D iiij b, Now it behoueth to make mention of an other order. 1633 G. Herbert Agonie in Temple 29 Two..things, The which to measure it doth more behove. 1876 Swinburne Erecth. 1452 Yet no pause behoves it make. |
c. the thing incumbent expressed by a clause. arch.
| c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. xviii. 6 Behofas [c 975 Rushw. beþearfeþ] him þæt he ᵹehongiᵹa coern-stan. Ibid. John xviii. 14 Behofað þætte an monn sie dead fore ðæm folce. c 1200 Ormin 17966 Itt bihofeþþ wel þatt he nu forrþwarrd waxe. a 1240 Sawles Warde 247. 1375 Barbour Bruce vi. 114 And than behufit, he chesit him ane Of thir twa. c 1440 Gesta Rom. 403 It behouys that the blynde bere the halte. 1533 Tindale Lord's Supper 31 It behoveth, that the son of man must die. 1547 Homilies i. Read. Script. ii. (1859) 15 It behooveth not, that such..should set aside reading. 1647 W. Browne Polexander i. 126 It behooves, likewise, that you give some roome and place to those that speake to you. 1860 Adler Fauriel's Prov. Poetry xvii. 389 It well behooves that every faithful friend..should dread to disclose..his passion. |
† d. the thing incumbent elliptically omitted. Obs.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 75 He nis nawiht alse leful alse him bi-houede. 1502 Arnold Chron. (1811) 207 The sacramentis freely to make and bere to whom it behougthe. 1644 Milton Areop. (Arb.) 54 If he be of such worth as behoovs him. |
5. a. Used, owing to confusion between the accusative and nominative (see first two quots.), as a personal verb: To be under obligation (to do); = must needs, ought, have. Of northern origin, and since 1500 only Scotch.
| [c 1340 Hampole Prose Tr. (1866) 5 Þe nam of Ihesu es helefull and nedys by-houys be lufed of all. c 1386 Chaucer Pars. T. ¶557 A servaunt of God bihoveth nought to chide.] c 1400 Apol. Loll. 31 Swelk men be howuen tak hede. 1475 Caxton Jason 76 The..craft that he behoueth to obserue and kepe. 1549 Compl. Scot. xv. 131 We behufit fyrst to reueil it. 1637 Gillespie Eng. Pop. Cerem. ii. ix. 52 He behooved to offend the Iewes. 1759 Robertson Hist. Scot. II. viii. 45 They behoved to esteem them traitors. 1832 Sir W. Hamilton Disc. (1853) 101 He behoved..clearly to determine the value of the principal terms. |
† b. To owe. Obs.
| 1496 Dives & Paup. iv. 24/2 He that moche hath byhoueth moche. And he that hath lesse byhoueth lesse. |
¶ error for behote.
| 1470–85 Malory Arthur i. xxxix. 72 ‘Then I behove you,’ said Balin, ‘part of his blood to heal your son withal.’ 1502 Arnold Chron. 296 Promyttynge and behofynge by the fayth of his body, worde of his princehode, and kyngis sonne. |
▪ II. † behove, byhoue, ? a. or pa. pple. Obs.
[f. behove v.]
In want. Cf. biheve.
| 1413 Lydg. Pylgr. Sowle i. xv. (1483) 13, I that am poure and hugely byhoue, Of help I pray yow of almysdede. |
▪ III. behove
obs. form of behoof.