FreeScrabbleDictionary

behest

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
11
Words With Friends
11
Letters
6
Pronunciation
/bɪˈhɛst/
See all 4 pronunciations
/bɪˈhɛst/ · /biˈhɛst/ · /bɪˈhest/ · /biˈhest/

Definition of behest

3 senses · 2 parts of speech · etymology included

noun

  1. A command, bidding; sometimes also, an authoritative request; now usually in the phrase at the behest of and at one's behest.
    “Moſt great and puiſant Monarke of the earth, Your Baſſoe wil accompliſh your beheſt: […]”
    “to do his master's high behest”
    “I have spells for the north, I have charms for the west, / And the south and the east must obey my behest.”
    “Paul did not dare pronounce, let matters rest, / His master having given him no behest.”
    “The London Midland Region has announced receipt of authority from the Ministry of Transport to resume the reconstruction of Stafford station and layout, interrupted at the Minister's behest; contracts have now been placed for the erection of the new station buildings and the yardmaster's office.”
See all 3 definitions

noun

  1. A command, bidding; sometimes also, an authoritative request; now usually in the phrase at the behest of and at one's behest.
    “Moſt great and puiſant Monarke of the earth, Your Baſſoe wil accompliſh your beheſt: […]”
    “to do his master's high behest”
    “I have spells for the north, I have charms for the west, / And the south and the east must obey my behest.”
    “Paul did not dare pronounce, let matters rest, / His master having given him no behest.”
    “The London Midland Region has announced receipt of authority from the Ministry of Transport to resume the reconstruction of Stafford station and layout, interrupted at the Minister's behest; contracts have now been placed for the erection of the new station buildings and the yardmaster's office.”
  2. (obsolete)A vow; a promise.
    “c. 1440, Markaryte Paston, letter to John Paston The time is come that I should send it her, if I keep the behest that I have made.”

verb

  1. (obsolete)To promise; vow.

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

From Middle English biheste, from Old English behǣs (“vow, promise”), from Proto-West Germanic *bihaisi, from *bi- (“be-”) + *haisi (“command”), from Proto-Germanic *haisiz, from *haitaną (“to command”). Final -t by analogy with other similar words in -t. Related to Old English behātan (“to command, promise”), Middle Low German beheit, behēt (“a promise”). Compare also hest (“command”), hight.

Anagrams of behest

4 plays · some not in Scrabble

Best play thebes 11 points

Words you can make from behest

37 playable · top: THEBES (11 pts)

Best play thebes 11 points

5-letter words

6 words

4-letter words

10 words

3-letter words

13 words

2-letter words

7 words

Hooks

1 extension · 1 back

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