To beat or strike repeatedly; to thump thoroughly or with force.
From 'be-' combined with 'thump.' The 'be-' prefix here intensifies the action of thumping, suggesting repeated or thorough striking, following Old English verb-formation patterns.
This word captures something hilariously specific—not just a single thump, but a comprehensive, ongoing thumping. Shakespeare and his contemporaries adored these 'be-' verbs for creating verbs that suggested duration and intensity in ways single verbs couldn't quite match.
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