v.; also 7 begirth. [f. BE- 1 + GIRT v., a late secondary form of GIRD, taken apparently from the pa. pple. girt, or perhaps from girt, obs. f. of GIRTH sb.] trans. To surround, encompass, enclose. (It has not the literal sense of begird.)

1

1608.  Hieron, Wks., I. 747. Begirt vs with Thy fauour.

2

1658.  Ussher, Ann., 530. He had begirthed the place with a triple wall.

3

1720.  Strype, Stow’s Surv., II. VI. 87. The Parish of St. Martin’s … begirteth it on all Parts.

4

1862.  Dana, Elem. Geol., 733. The lofty mountains and volcanoes which begirt it.

5

  Hence Begirt, begirting ppl. a., begirting vbl. sb.

6

1645.  Milton, Tetrach., Wks. (1851), 233. With a begirting mischief.

7

1660.  H. More, Myst. Godl., V. xvi. 198. The begirting of the holy City by the numerous armies of Gog and Magog.

8

1791.  Cowper, Iliad, II. 681. Sea-begirt Ægina.

9