bein

Alternative forms

• been, bene
• bien (Scotland)

Etymology

From Middle English been, beene, bene (“gracious, generous, pleasant”), of unknown origin. Perhaps from Old Norse beinn (“straight, right, favourable, advantageous, convenient, friendly, fair, keen”), from Proto-Germanic *bainaz (“straight”), from Proto-Indo-European *bhei- (“to hit, beat”). Cognate with Scots bein, bien (“in good condition, pleasant, well-to-do, cosy, well-stocked, pleasant, keen”), Icelandic beinn (“straight, direct, hospitable”), Norwegian bein (“straight, direct, easy to deal with”). See also bain.

Adjective

bein (comparative more bein, superlative most bein)

1. (Now chiefly dialectal) Wealthy; well-to-do.

   a bein farmer

2. (Now chiefly dialectal) Well provided; comfortable; cosy.

Adverb

bein (comparative more bein, superlative most bein)

1. (Now chiefly dialectal) Comfortably.

Verb

bein (third-person singular simple present beins, present participle beining, simple past and past participle beined)

1. (transitive, Scotland) To render or make comfortable; dry.

Anagrams

• Bien, bine

Etymology

From Old Norse bein, from Proto-Germanic *bainą.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [bain]

Noun

bein n (genitive singular beins, plural bein)

1. leg
2. bone

Etymology

From Old Norse bein, from Proto-Germanic *bainą.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpeiːn/
• Rhymes: -eiːn

Noun

bein n (genitive singular beins, nominative plural bein)

1. a bone

   Hundurinn borðaði bein.

   The dog ate a bone.

Etymology

Old French bien.

Adverb

bein (comparative miyeu, superlative miyeu)

1. (Jersey) well

Alternative forms

• ben

Etymology

From Old Norse bein, from Proto-Germanic *bainą.

Noun

bein n (definite singular beinet, indefinite plural bein, definite plural beina or beinene)

1. a leg
2. a bone

References

• “bein” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Etymology

From Old Norse bein, from Proto-Germanic *bainą. Akin to English bone.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bæɪn/

Noun

bein n (definite singular beinet, indefinite plural bein, definite plural beina)

1. a leg
2. a bone

References

• “bein” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *bainą.

Noun

bein n

1. (anatomy) leg
2. (anatomy) bone

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *bainą. Compare Old English bān, Old Saxon and Old Frisian bēn, Old High German bein.

Noun

bein n (genitive beins, plural bein)

1. leg
2. bone

References

• bein in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press

Etymology 1

From Latin bene.

Etymology 2

Verb

bein

1. present participle of be