To coat or smear something thickly with a messy substance like paint, mud, or grease.
From Middle English 'bedauben,' combining the prefix 'be-' (meaning 'to cover') with 'daub' (from Old French 'dauber,' meaning to coat or plaster). The prefix 'be-' became productive in English for creating verbs meaning to cover or affect thoroughly.
The 'be-' prefix is a linguistic power-up that turns simple verbs into 'all-over' actions—bedaub means to daub completely, befriend means to make into a friend entirely, and besmirch means to soil thoroughly. You'll find this same prefix in Shakespeare's work creating vivid images of complete transformation.
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