Forms: 1 behófian, 2–3 be-, bihouen, (3 -hofen, -heouen, bioue, behafe), 3–5 bi-, byhoue, (4 behowe, byhufe, behowue, behowf), 4–6 behuif, 4–7 behoue, (5 behofe), 6 behooue, (bihoove, behoofe, behuf, behof), 6– behoove, 5– behove. Pa. t. behoved, (4 byhod). For contracted impersonal forms, see BUS. [OE. bi-, behófian (corresp. to MLG. behoven, MDu. and Du. behoeven), f. bihóf sb.: see BEHOOF. Lit. ‘to be of behoof or use.’ Historically, it rhymes with move, prove, but being now mainly a literary word, it is generally made to rhyme with rove, grove, by those who know it only in books. Cf. prove, proof: behove, behoof.]
† 1. trans. To have use for or need of, to require; to be in want of. (Object orig. genitive.) Obs.
c. 890. K. Ælfred, Bæda, IV. v. Mycel wund behófaþ mycles læcedomes.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., III. 440. Þeah þa scearp þanclan witan … þisse engliscan ʓeþeodnesse ne behofien.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 63. Swa bi-houeð þe saule fode.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 281/2. Somme sekenes in the legge whiche behoueth a medycyne.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss. (1812), I. 626. One of the most strongest townes of the worlde; for it behoveth mo than ii. C. M. men to besiege it rounde.
a. 1670. Hacket, Abp. Williams, I. 39 (D.). He had all those endowments … which are behoved in a scholar.
† 2. To be physically of use, needful, or necessary to; (only in 3 pers.). Obs. Object orig. dative.
1154. O. E. Chron. (Laud MS.), an. 1137, § 6. Al þat heom behoued.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 65. He us ȝeue … þet us bihoueð ulche dei.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 27. Me beheoueð his help.
1297. R. Glouc., 177. Ech [erne] ys in a roche hym sulf … Vor hem byhoueþ muche mete.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 2349. Alle harneys þat be hoves to werre.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of A., II. xxxi. 142. Gonnes and the pouldre that behoueth therto.
c. 1530. More, De quat. Noviss., Wks. 90. Labour … to geate that thee and thyne behoueth.
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 942. Behoves him now both Oare and Saile.
3. To be morally needful or requisite to; to be incumbent, proper or due.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 109. Þan alden bihouað duȝende þewas.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (1865), I. 67. Ouþer vnderstondynge bihoueþ of þe ryueres of Paradys, þan auctours writeþ.
1538. Bale, Thre Lawes, 873. Those are perswaded all thynges them to behoue.
1572. Forrest, Theophilus, 358. I will informe him what doth behove in þis case.
1684. Contempl. State Man, II. vi. (1699), 190. They informed him of the King’s Testament and what behoved him.
1860. Trench, Serm. Westm. Ab., xiv. 158. If this behoves in the time of a great joy, it behoves still more in the time of a great sorrow.
b. To befit, be due to; to belong, pertain, suit.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur (1816), II. 221. This shield behoveth to no man but unto sir Galahad.
1485. Caxton, Paris & V., 67. Now see I wel that now me byhoueth noo hoope ne truste.
1502. Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W.), I. vii. 56. It behoueth unto all the moost grete clerkes.
1577. Harrison, Descr. Eng., II. xx. (1877), 827. We wold haue them in reuerence as to their case behooveth.
1814. Scott, Ld. Isles, VI. ix. With honour, as behoved To page the monarch dearly loved.
1881. Rossetti, Ball. & Sonn., 119. To such bright cheer and courtesy That name might best behove.
4. quasi-impers. (the subject being a clause). In early ME. without it, which is now ordinarily used. a. with the thing incumbent expressed by an infinitive, and with personal object: It is incumbent upon or necessary for (a person) to do (something).
c. 1200. Ormin, 16706. Bihofeþþ … þe mannes sune on erþe To wurrþen hofenn upp.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., A. 927. A gret cite … Yow byhod haue.
1382. Wyclif, 2 Sam. iv. 10. To whom it hadde bihouid [1388 it bihofte] me to ȝeue mede.
1485. Caxton, Chas. Gt., 103. Vs behoueth fyrst to passe.
1591. Spenser, Virgil’s Gnat, lix. She … observ’d th’ appointed way, as her behooved.
1611. Bible, Heb. ii. 17. In all things it behooued him to bee made like vnto his brethren.
1649. Milton, Eikon., iii. Wks. (1851), 355. Wherefore did he goe at all, it behooving him to know there were two Statutes that declar’d he ought first [etc.].
1756. C. Lucas, Ess. Waters, III. 341. It behooves the more weakly … to be more cautious.
1792. Burke, Corr. (1844), IV. 33. It greatly behoved government to keep its temper.
1820. W. Irving, Sketch Bk., II. 354. It behoved him to keep on good terms with his pupils.
1855. H. Reed, Lect. Eng. Lit., i. (1878), 28. What books does it behoove me to know?
b. without pers. obj.: It is proper or due. arch.
a. 1240. Wohunge, in Cott. Hom., 275. Bihoues þurh þi grace ȝapliche to wite me.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 945. God war worthy mare to be lufed Þan any creature, and swa byhufed.
1563. Shute, Archit., D iiij b. Now it behoueth to make mention of an other order.
1633. G. Herbert, Agonie, in Temple, 29. Two … things, The which to measure it doth more behove.
1876. Swinburne, Erechtheus, 1452. Yet no pause behoves it make.
c. the thing incumbent expressed by a clause. arch.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Matt. xviii. 6. Behofas [c. 975 Rushw. beþearfeþ] him þæt he ʓehongiʓa coern-stan. Ibid., John xviii. 14. Behofað þætte an monn sie dead fore ðæm folce.
c. 1200. Ormin, 17966. Itt bihofeþþ wel þatt he nu forrþwarrd waxe.
a. 1240. Sawles Warde, 247.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, VI. 114. And than behufit, he chesit him ane Of thir twa.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., 403. It behouys that the blynde bere the halte.
1533. Tindale, Lord’s Supper, 31. It behoveth, that the son of man must die.
1547. Homilies, I. Read. Script., II. (1859), 15. It behooveth not, that such … should set aside reading.
1647. W. Browne, Polexander, I. 126. It behooves, likewise, that you give some roome and place to those that speake to you.
1860. Adler, Fauriel’s Prov. Poetry, xvii. 389. It well behooves that every faithful friend … should dread to disclose … his passion.
† d. the thing incumbent elliptically omitted. Obs.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 75. He nis nawiht alse leful alse him bi-houede.
1502. Arnold, Chron. (1811), 207. The sacramentis freely to make and bere to whom it behougthe.
1644. Milton, Areop. (Arb.), 54. If he be of such worth as behoovs him.
5. Used, owing to confusion between the accusative and nominative (see first two quots.), as a personal verb: To be under obligation (to do); = must needs, ought, have. Of northern origin, and since 1500 only Scotch.
[c. 1340. Hampole, Prose Tr. (1866), 5. Þe nam of Ihesu es helefull and nedys by-houys be lufed of all.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Pers. T., ¶ 557. A servaunt of God bihoveth nought to chide.]
c. 1400. Apol. Loll., 31. Swelk men be howuen tak hede.
1475. Caxton, Jason, 76. The … craft that he behoueth to obserue and kepe.
1549. Compl. Scot., xv. 131. We behufit fyrst to reueil it.
1637. Gillespie, Eng.-Pop. Cerem., II. ix. 52. He behooved to offend the Iewes.
1759. Robertson, Hist. Scot., II. VIII. 45. They behoved to esteem them traitors.
1832. Sir W. Hamilton, Disc. (1853), 101. He behoved … clearly to determine the value of the principal terms.
† b. To owe. Obs.
1496. Dives & Paup., iv. 24/2. He that moche hath byhoueth moche. And he that hath lesse byhoueth lesse.
¶ error for BEHOTE.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, I. xxxix. 72. ‘Then I behove you,’ said Balin, ‘part of his blood to heal your son withal.’
1502. Arnold, Chron., 296. Promyttynge and behofynge by the fayth of his body, worde of his princehode, and kyngis sonne.
