behave

From Middle English behaven, bihabben (“to restrain, behave”), equivalent to be- +‎ have. Compare Old English behabban (“to include, hold, surround, comprehend, contain, detain, withhold, restrain”), Middle High German behaben (“to hold, take possession of”).

• IPA^(key): /bɪˈheɪv/, /bəˈheɪv/

• Audio (US)

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• Audio

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• Rhymes: -eɪv

behave (third-person singular simple present behaves, present participle behaving, simple past and past participle behaved)

1. (reflexive) To conduct (oneself) well, or in a given way.

   You need to behave yourself, young lady.

   • (Can we date this quote by Bible as well as title, page, and other details?), 2 Maccabees ii. 21

     those that behaved themselves manfully

2. (intransitive) To act, conduct oneself in a specific manner; used with an adverbial of manner.

   He behaves like a child whenever she's around.

   How did the students behave while I was gone?

   My laptop has been behaving erratically ever since you borrowed it.

   • 2014 April 21, “Subtle effects”, in The Economist, volume 411, number 8884:

     Manganism has been known about since the 19th century, when miners exposed to ores containing manganese, a silvery metal, began to totter, slur their speech and behave like someone inebriated.

3. (obsolete, transitive) To conduct, manage, regulate (something).
   • (Can we date this quote by William Shakespeare as well as title, page, and other details?)

     He did behave his anger ere 'twas spent.

   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, II.iii:

     who his limbs with labours, and his mind / Behaues with cares, cannot so easie mis.

4. (intransitive) To act in a polite or proper way.

   His mother threatened to spank him if he didn't behave.

• behave oneself

• behavior, behaviour
• behavioral, behavioural
• behaviorist, behaviourist
• behaviorism, behaviourism

• behave in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• behave in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911