Bestink

/bɪˈstɪŋk/ verb

Definition

To cause to stink; to make foul-smelling or to cover with a bad smell.

Etymology

From be- (causative prefix) + stink. Old English stincan combined with the be- prefix to create a verb meaning to make stink, an archaic term.

Kelly Says

Shakespeare and his contemporaries used 'bestink' to mean 'to ruin' or 'to spoil' metaphorically—'bestinked reputation'—showing how these be- verbs extended metaphorically beyond their literal meanings, a pattern that modern English has largely lost.

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