bec

See also: bèc, bêc, bëc, Beč, beç, bęc, and Bęc

Albanian

Alternative forms

• beç

Etymology

Onomatopoeic. From the bleating sound, with -c/ç suffix.

Noun

bec m (indefinite plural beca, definite singular beci, definite plural becat)

1. lamb

Related terms

• rrunjë

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Catalan

Etymology

From Old Occitan, from Latin beccus (“beak”), from Gaulish *beccos, from Proto-Celtic *bekkos.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central, Valencian) IPA^(key): /ˈbek/
• Rhymes: -ek

Noun

bec m (plural becs)

1. beak, bill

Derived terms

• bec d'esclop

Verb

bec

1. first-person singular present indicative form of beure

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French

Etymology

From Latin beccus (“beak”), from Gaulish *beccos, from Proto-Celtic *bekkos.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɛk/

• audio

  (file)

Noun

bec m (plural becs)

1. (anatomy) beak, bill (of bird)
2. (colloquial, North of France, Belgium, Quebec, Switzerland, Louisiana) kiss

   Synonyms: bécot, bise, bisou

   Elle m'a fait un bec en partant.

   She gave me a kiss in parting.

3. (slang) mouth

   Certains l’imaginent avec une pépée, un cigare au coin du bec, quelque part sous les cocotiers.

   (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Derived terms

Derived terms

• à bec
• baleine à bec
• bec Bunsen
• bec sucré
• bec-d'âne
• bec-d'argent
• bec-de-cane
• bec-de-canon
• bec-de-cigogne
• bec-de-cire

• bec-de-corbeau
• bec-de-corbin
• bec-de-crosse
• bec-de-cygne
• bec-de-faucon
• bec-de-grue

• bec-de-hache
• bec-de-héron
• bec-de-jar
• bec-de-lézard
• bec-de-lièvre
• bec-de-mortagnais

• bec-de-perroquet
• bec-de-pigeon
• bec-de-vautour
• bec-d'oie
• bec-dur
• bec et ongles
• bec verseur
• becter
• béquille
• clouer le bec
• flûte à bec
• puer du bec
• nez en bec d'aigle

Descendants

• → Portuguese: beque

Further reading

• “bec” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• BCE

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Friulian

Etymology

From Latin beccus (“beak”), from Gaulish *beccos.

Noun

bec m (plural becs)

1. beak
2. bill

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Old English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /beːt͡ʃ/

Noun

bēċ

1. inflection of bōc:
   1. genitive/dative singular
   2. nominative/accusative plural

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Old Irish

Alternative forms

• becc

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *bikkos (“small”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbʲeɡ/

Adjective

bec (comparative lugu)

1. small

Inflection

o/ā-stem
Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	bec	bec	bec
Vocative	bic* bec**
Accusative	bec	bic
Genitive	bic	bice	bic
Dative	biuc	bic	biuc
Plural	Masculine	Feminine/neuter
Nominative	bic	beca
Vocative	bicu beca†
Accusative	bicu beca†
Genitive	bec
Dative	becaib
Notes	*modifying a noun whose vocative is different from its nominative **modifying a noun whose vocative is identical to its nominative † not when substantivized

Descendants

• Irish: beag
• Manx: beg
• Scottish Gaelic: beag

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
bec	bec pronounced with /v(ʲ)-/	mbec
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

• Gregory Toner, Maire Ní Mhaonaigh, Sharon Arbuthnot, Dagmar Wodtko, Maire-Luise Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “bec”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

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Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French bec (de gaz).

Noun

bec n (plural becuri)

1. lightbulb

Declension

Declension of bec

	singular		plural
	indefinite articulation	definite articulation	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) bec	becul	(niște) becuri	becurile
genitive/dative	(unui) bec	becului	(unor) becuri	becurilor
vocative	becule		becurilor

Descendants

• → Polish: bek