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beg1
/beg/, v., begged, begging.v.t.1. to ask for as a gift, as charity, or as a favor: to beg alms; to beg forgiveness.2. to ask (someone) to give or do something; implore: He begged me for mercy. Sit down, I beg you.3. to take for granted without basis or justification: a statement that begs the very point we're disputing.4. to fail or refuse to come to grips with; avoid; evade: a report that consistently begs the whole problem.v.i.5. to ask alms or charity; live by asking alms.6. to ask humbly or earnestly: begging for help; begging to differ.7. (of a dog) to sit up, as trained, in a posture of entreaty.8. beg off, to request or obtain release from an obligation, promise, etc.: He had promised to drive us to the recital but begged off at the last minute.9. beg the question, to assume the truth of the very point raised in a question.10. go begging, to remain open or available, as a position that is unfilled or an unsold item: The job went begging for lack of qualified applicants.[bef. 900; ME beggen, by assimilation from OE *bedican, syncopated var. of bedecian to beg; cf. Goth bidagwa beggar. See BEAD]Syn. 2. entreat, pray, beseech, petition. BEG and REQUEST are used in certain conventional formulas, in the sense of ask. BEG, once a part of many formal expressions used in letter writing, debate, etc., is now used chiefly in such courteous formulas as I beg your pardon; The Committee begs to report, etc. REQUEST, more impersonal and now more formal, is used in giving courteous orders (You are requested to report) and in commercial formulas like to request payment.beg2/bayg, beg/, n.bey.[1680-90; Turkic; see BEY]
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Universalium. 2010.
