To dye or color something thoroughly by applying dye to it.
From Middle English 'bedien,' combining the prefix 'be-' (meaning to cover or affect thoroughly) with 'dye,' which comes from Old English 'deag.' The 'be-' prefix intensifies the action of dyeing.
The 'be-' prefix is a linguistic time machine—it transforms simple verbs into ones that mean doing something completely or all over. Medieval English loved this prefix for words like 'besmirch' and 'bejewel,' creating this wonderfully expressive layer of meaning we still use today.
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