To pour out or allow to flow forth; to permit or grant something to flow or be distributed.
From Old English 'beteman,' combining the prefix 'be-' (to make, cause) with 'teem' (to pour or flow). The meaning evolved from physical pouring to more abstract granting or allowing.
Shakespeare used words like 'beteem' to describe tears or grace 'flowing forth'—it's a poetic verb that captures motion and emotion in one word, which is why older literature feels so much more vivid than modern speech.
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