for forms see BEAT v. Shortened form of BEATEN, often used as pple.; as adj. chiefly in the sense: Overcome by hard work or difficulty; common in the expression dead-beat.
a. literally. Obs., arch., or dial.
c. 1400. Rowland & Ot., 417. A Sercle of golde That bett was wonder newe.
c. 1440. Bone Flor., 182. Hur clothys wyth bestes and byrdes wer bete All abowte.
1589. Warner, Alb. Eng., V. xxiii. (1579), 113. The storm-beate English ship.
1793. Smeaton, Edystone L., § 239. A proper quantity of the beat mortar was liquefied.
c. 1817. Hogg, Tales & Sk., IV. 13. A little bowl of beat potatoes and some milk.
b. figuratively in current use.
1833. Moore, Jerome on E., II. Wks. (1862), 558. Till fairly beat the saint gave o’er.
1868. Dickens, Lett. (1880), II. 334. I was again dead beat at the end.
1879. Howells, L. Aroostook (1882), I. 20. ‘Is the young lady ill?’ ‘No … a little beat out, that’s all.’
