bestand

From Middle English bistanden, bestanden, from Old English bestandan, from Proto-West Germanic *bistandan, from Proto-Germanic *bistandaną (“to surround, support”). Equivalent to be- (“around, by”) +‎ stand.

• Rhymes: -ænd

bestand (third-person singular simple present bestands, present participle bestanding, simple past and past participle bestood)

1. (transitive) To stand by or near; stand around.
2. (transitive) To beset; stand around in hostility; harass.
   • 1880, Sidney Lanier, Alfred Kappes, Sir Thomas Malory, The Boy's King Arthur:

     [...] that is my lord and uncle King Arthur, for he is full straitly bestood [sore beset] with a false traitor, which is my half brother Sir Mordred, [...]

3. (transitive) To surround; encompass.
   • 1846, Polydore Vergil, Sir Henry Ellis, Polydore Vergil's English history:

     Wherefore the Brittishe bisshops, bestood with weapons and enemies, when thei coulde not execute all functions, and perceaved that the prelates their neighbours weare prompte to assiste them, [...]

4. (transitive) To serve; be of service to; be ready to serve or aid.
   • 1904, Donald Grant Mitchell, American Lands and Letters:

     [...] and, inherited Puritan crust of stiffness that rarely left him, and which bestood him well under the ceremonials of his mission, whether at London (1846- 49) or later (1867-74) in Berlin.

   • 1907, Donald Grant Mitchell, The works of Donald G. Mitchell:

     Would not children come kindly to such out-of-door lessons, and to such practical knowledge as would always bestand them well?

• (to serve): bestead; See also Thesaurus:serve

• ant-beds, tan beds

From Low German bestant.

bestand c (singular definite bestanden, plural indefinite bestande)

1. population (of an animal species)
2. total number (of something)

• “bestand” in Den Danske Ordbog

From Middle Dutch bestant. Equivalent to be- +‎ stand, compare German Bestand.

• IPA^(key): /bəˈstɑnt/

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• Hyphenation: be‧stand
• Rhymes: -ɑnt

bestand n (plural bestanden, diminutive bestandje n)

1. archive, file
2. (computing) file
3. truce

   Twaalfjarig Bestand ― Twelve Years' truce

• Negerhollands: bestand

bestand (not comparable)

1. capable of withstanding, capable to withstand

   Dit huis is bestand tegen stormen. — This house can withstand storms.

• batsend

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• Rhymes: -ant

bestand

1. first/third-person singular preterite of bestehen

From Low German bestant; compare with German Bestand.

bestand m (definite singular bestanden, indefinite plural bestander, definite plural bestandene)

1. stock (e.g. of fish)
2. stand (e.g. of trees)
3. population (of wild animals / birds)

• bestanddel

• “bestand” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

From Low German bestant.

bestand m (definite singular bestanden, indefinite plural bestandar, definite plural bestandane)

1. stock (e.g. of fish)
2. stand (e.g. of trees)
3. population (of wild animals / birds)

• “bestand” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.