beseech

• beseek

From Middle English besechen, bisechen, prefixed form of Old English sēċan (“to seek or inquire about”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian besäike (“to visit”), Dutch bezoeken (“to visit, attend, see”), German besuchen (“to visit, attend, see”), Swedish besöka (“to visit, go to see”).

• enPR: bĭ-sēchʹ, IPA^(key): /bɪˈsiːt͡ʃ/
• Rhymes: -iːtʃ

beseech (third-person singular simple present beseeches, present participle beseeching, simple past and past participle beseeched or besought)

1. to beg or implore (a person)
   • 1748, David Hume, Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral, London, Oxford University Press, 1973, § 25:

     after what manner, I beseech you, must the mind proceed in this operation?

   • 1888, Rudyard Kipling, ‘Watches of the Night’, Plain Tales from the Hills, Folio 2005, p. 61:

     She besought him, for his Soul's sake to speak the truth.

   • 1919, W. Somerset Maugham, The Moon and Sixpence, chapter 31

     Panting a little in his haste, he told her how miserable he was; he besought her to have mercy on him; he promised, if she would forgive him, to do everything she wanted.

2. to request or beg for
   • 1990, Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky (translators), Fyodor Dostoevsky (author), The Brothers Karamazov, San Francisco, North Point Press, →ISBN, page 657:

     […] the tickets had all been given out, begged, besought long ago.

• seek

beseech (plural beseeches)

1. (archaic) A request.
   • 1839, Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, George Darley, The works of Beaumont and Fletcher: Volume 1:

     Good madam, hear the suit that Edith urges, With such submiss beseeches; [...]

• Beeches, beeches, beseche