sb. Obs. [OE. béot, contr. from earlier *bí·hát ‘promise,’ the original noun-form, corresponding to the vb. bi-, be-há·tan: see BE-, BY-. For the contraction cf. héold (:—he·-hald), béo, etc. A shifting of the stress from bí·hát to bi-há·t, on analogy of the vb., gave the late OE. behá·t, whence ME. BEHOTE, which is thus a doublet of béot.] A promise, vow, threat, boast.
a. 1000. Cædmon’s Genesis (Gr.), 70. Wæs him gylp forod, beot forborsten.
c. 1205. Lay., 23680. His beot [so 1250] imaked hafde bi-foren al his duȝeðe. Ibid., 24929. Þat Romanisce leoden sunden swa ræie and heore beot [1250 þret] makieð.
