belike

See also: be like

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English beliken (“to simulate, feign”), equivalent to be- +‎ like.

Verb

belike (third-person singular simple present belikes, present participle beliking, simple past and past participle beliked)

1. (transitive) To make like; simulate.
2. (transitive) To be like; resemble.
   • 2000, Helen May Dennis, Ezra Pound and poetic influence:

     The most beautiful passages of Arnaut are in the canzo beginning: Sweet cries and cracks and lays and chants inflected By auzels who, in their Latin belikes.

Etymology 2

From be- +‎ like.

Verb

belike (third-person singular simple present belikes, present participle beliking, simple past and past participle beliked)

1. (impersonal) To be pleasing to; please.
   • 1903, The story of King Arthur and his knights:

     Yea," said King Arthur, " it belikes me more than any horse that I ever beheld before." " Then," quoth Queen Morgana, "consider it as a gift of reconciliation betwixt thee and me. [...]"

2. (transitive) To like; be pleased with.

Derived terms

• beliked

Noun

belike (plural belikes)

1. An object of affection or liking.

   She will always be one of my belikes.

Etymology 3

From be- +‎ like.

Adverb

belike (not comparable)

2. (archaic or dialectal, especially Northern England) Likely, probably, perhaps, haply.
   • c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv]:

     It seems, you lov'd not her, to leave her token: / She's dead, belike.

   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition III, section 1, member 2, subsection iii:

     For that reason, belike, Homer feigns the three Graces to be linked and tied hand in hand, because the hearts of men are so firmly united with such graces.

   • 1885–1888, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, “Night 558”, in A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments, now Entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], Shammar edition, volume (please specify the volume), [London]: […] Burton Club […], →OCLC:

     Upon this he brought me a cotton bag and giving it to me, said, "Take this bag and fill it with pebbles from the beach and go forth with a company of the townsfolk to whom I will give a charge respecting thee. Do as they do and belike thou shalt gain what may further thy return voyage to thy native land."

   • 1904, Gilbert K[eith] Chesterton, “To Hilaire Belloc”, in The Napoleon of Notting Hill, London; New York, N.Y.: John Lane, The Bodley Head, →OCLC, book I, page 7:

     And when the pedants bade us mark / What cold mechanic happenings / Must come; our souls said in the dark, / "Belike; but there are likelier things."

   • 1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 39:

     Some night-bird, belike, or a sea-gull squalling below the headland.

   • 1991, Roger Zelazny, Robert Sheckley, Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming, New York, N.Y.: Bantam Books, page 205:

     Princess Scarlet fanned herself with the Chinese fan that Supply had provided and, turning to Achmed Ali, said in formal tones, "Belike, sir, I've not seen thy match for overall all-in dancing eftsoons.

Derived terms

• belikely

Anagrams

• Beilke