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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary beg·gar
ETYMOLOGY Middle English beggere, beggare, from beggen to beg + -ere, -are -er (II) DATE 13th century 1. one that begs; especially : a person who lives by asking for gifts 2. pauper 3. fellow 4c
transitive verb DATE 15th century 1. to reduce to beggary 2. to exceed the resources or abilities of : defy beggars description so outrageous as to beggar belief English Etymology beggar early 13c., from O.Fr . begart, originally a member of the Beghards, lay brothers of mendicants in the Low Countries, from M.Du. beggaert "mendicant," of uncertain origin, with pejorative suffix (see -ard). Cf. Beguine. Early folk etymology connected the English word with bag. The feminine form beggestere is attested as a surname from c.1300. The verb meaning "to reduce to poverty" is from 1520s. Beggar's velvet was an old name for "dust bunnies."http://O.Fr Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 beggar beg·gar / 5be^E(r) / noun1. a person who lives by asking people for money or food 乞丐；叫花子 2. (BrE, informal) used with an adjective to describe sb in a particular way (与形容词连用)家伙: Aren't you dressed yet, you lazy beggar? 你这个懒汉还没穿好衣服吗？ IDIOMS ▪ 7beggars can't be 'choosers (saying) people say beggars can't be choosers when there is no choice and sb must be satisfied with what is available 要饭就不能嫌馊；给什么就得要什么 ⇨ more at wish n. verb[VN] to make sb / sth very poor 使贫穷；使匮乏: Why should I beggar myself for you? 我为什么要为你受穷？ ▪ beggar be'lief / de'scription to be too extreme, shocking, etc. to believe / describe 难以相信；无法形容: It beggars belief how things could have got this bad. 真是难以置信,情况怎么会恶化到这种地步。 OLT beggar noun ⇨ tramp Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged beg·gar I. \ˈbegə(r), -āg-\ noun (-s) Etymology: Middle English beggare, beggere, from beggen to beg + -are, -ere -er — more at beg 1. a. : one that begs; especially : one that lives by asking for gifts b. : one that asks (as for a gift) earnestly or humbly < he must be a good beggar — money raiser the vestries call it — Nelson Rightmyer > 2. : a poor or impoverished person < this system only created beggars, completely dependent on outside help — Darcy Ribeiro > 3. : fellow < the poor little beggars in the orphanages > < a good-hearted beggar > II. transitive verb (beggared ; beggared ; beggaring \-g(ə)riŋ\ ; beggars) 1. : to reduce to beggary : impoverish < wars that beggar a nation > : reduce the value of < beggaring the very policy he was advocating — Time > 2. : to reduce to inadequacy : exceed the resources of < the costumes of the performers almost beggar description — Bess A. Garner > |
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