to mock, jeer at, or treat with contempt; to flout openly.
From 'be-' plus 'flout,' possibly from Scandinavian sources. 'Flout' means to openly disregard or mock, and 'be-' intensifies the action.
This verb appears in Shakespeare and older works as a stronger, more emphatic version of 'flout'—adding 'be-' to verbs was how speakers made language more forceful before adverbs took over that job.
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