Around the beldam all erect they hang.
Akenside.
Be*lea"guer (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beleaguered (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Beleaguering.] [D. belegeren (akin to G. belagern, Sw. belägra, Dan. beleire); pref. be- = E. be- + leger bed, camp, army, akin to E. lair. See Lair.] To surround with an army so as to preclude escape; to besiege; to blockade.
The wail of famine in beleaguered towns.
Longfellow.
Syn. -- To block up; environ; invest; encompass.
Be*lea"guer*er (&?;), n. One who beleaguers.
Be*leave" (&?;), v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Beleft (&?;).] To leave or to be left. [Obs.] May.
Be*lec"ture (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Belectured (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Belecturing.] To vex with lectures; to lecture frequently.
Be*lee" (&?;), v. t. To place under the lee, or unfavorably to the wind. Shak.
Be*lem"nite (&?;), n. [Gr. &?; dart, fr. &?; dart, fr. &?; to throw: cf. F. bélemnite.] (Paleon.) A conical calcareous fossil, tapering to a point at the lower extremity, with a conical cavity at the other end, where it is ordinarily broken; but when perfect it contains a small chambered cone, called the phragmocone, prolonged, on one side, into a delicate concave blade; the thunderstone. It is the internal shell of a cephalopod related to the sepia, and belonging to an extinct family. The belemnites are found in rocks of the Jurassic and Cretaceous ages. -- Bel*em*nit"ic, a.
Be*lep"er (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Belepered (&?;).] To infect with leprosy. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
||Bel"-es*prit" (&?;), n.; pl. Beaux-esprits (&?;). [F., fine wit.] A fine genius, or man of wit. "A man of letters and a bel esprit." W. Irving.
Bel"fry (&?;), n. [OE. berfray movable tower used in sieges, OF. berfreit, berfroit, F. beffroi, fr. MHG. bervrit, bercvrit, G. bergfriede, fr. MHG. bergen to protect (G. bergen to conceal) + vride peace, protection, G. friede peace; in compounds often taken in the sense of security, or place of security; orig. therefore a place affording security. G. friede is akin to E. free. See Burg, and Free.] 1. (Mil. Antiq.) A movable tower erected by besiegers for purposes of attack and defense.
2. A bell tower, usually attached to a church or other building, but sometimes separate; a campanile.
3. A room in a tower in which a bell is or may be hung; or a cupola or turret for the same purpose.