byhove

See also: behøve

English

Alternative forms

• behove, behoove

Etymology

From Middle English behoven, from Old English behōfian (“to need”), from behōf (“advantage, behoof, profit; need”). Cognate with Swedish behöva and Dutch behoeven.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɪˈhəʊv/
• Rhymes: -əʊv

Verb

byhove (third-person singular simple present byhoves, present participle byhoving, simple past and past participle byhoved)

1. To suit; to befit.
   • 1803, Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Benjamin Rush April 21.

     It behoves every man who values liberty of conscience for himself, to resist invasions of it in the case of others; or their case may, by change of circumstances, become his own.

   • 1936, Alfred Edward Housman, More Poems, II., lines 11-12:

     No fire-faced prophet brought me word

     Which way behoved me go.

   • 2001 January 16, Sir Raymond Whitney, in the House of Commons Hansard Debates for 16 Jan 2001 (pt 23),^[1]

     It behoves the Government to take note of that.

   • 2003 November 3, Tariq Ali, “Resistance is the first step towards Iraqi independence”,^[2] The Guardian,

     Nor does it behove western commentators whose countries are occupying Iraq to lay down conditions for those opposing it.

Translations

to suit, to befit

• Bulgarian: подобава (bg) (podobava), дълг е на (dǎlg e na)
• Dutch: betamen (nl), pаssen
• Russian: подобать (ru) (podobatʹ), сле́довать (ru) (slédovatʹ), надлежа́ть (ru) (nadležátʹ), приличествовать (ru) (priličestvovatʹ)

Middle English

Noun

byhove (uncountable)

1. Alternative form of behove