To make dirty or grimy; to cover with dark stains or smudges.
From be- (prefix) + grim (from Old English grim, originally meaning 'dark' or 'forbidding'). Over time, 'grim' came to describe both threatening situations and dark, dirty appearances.
The word 'grim' started as a description of darkness and danger, but by medieval times it was also used for dirt and soot—probably because coal smoke and grime made everything look dark and threatening. 'Begrim' captures that ancient connection.
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