German edit

Etymology edit

From Middle High German bewern, from Old High German beweren, bewerien. By surface analysis, be- +‎ wehren.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /bəˈveːʁən/, [bəˈveː.ʁən], [-ˈveː.ɐn], [-ˈveːɐ̯n], [-ˈvɛɐ̯n]
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -eːʀən
  • Homophone: bewähren (some speakers)

Verb edit

bewehren (weak, third-person singular present bewehrt, past tense bewehrte, past participle bewehrt, auxiliary haben)

  1. (military, archaic, but still figurative in higher register) to arm, protect, fortify
    Der Floh ist zur Blutaufnahme mit einem Saugrüssel bewehrt.
    A flea is armed with a proboscis in order to ingest blood.
  2. (engineering) to armor, reinforce (building materials like concrete in order to increase their solidity)
  3. (obsolete, except in mit Strafe bewehren) to forbid, hinder, ward off

Conjugation edit

Derived terms edit

Further reading edit

  • bewehren” in Duden online
  • bewehren” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache