Past tense of 'bestride'; stood over something with legs spread apart or dominated something in a commanding way.
From Old English 'bestrode' (past tense of 'bestridan'). The vowel change from 'i' to 'o' marks the past tense in strong verbs, similar to 'ride/rode.' This is a traditional irregular past tense form.
This is the historically authentic past tense form, which is why it appears in classic literature. The vowel shift (be-STRIDE to be-STRODE) is ancient English grammar at work—the same pattern that gave us 'ride/rode' and 'hide/hid.'
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