To crush or squeeze something completely, or to overwhelm something with force.
From 'be-' (meaning to cover or surround with an action) combined with 'crush' (from Old French 'cruisir', of uncertain origin, likely imitating the sound of crushing). The 'be-' prefix intensifies the crushing action.
English has dozens of 'be-' verbs for destruction—'besmash,' 'bebreak,' 'bedamn'—and they all add a sense of totality or intensity, like the action is happening all over or overwhelming everything, which is why old literature sounds so dramatic and forceful.
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