To make wintry; to expose to or subject to winter; to pass through the winter.
From 'be-' + 'winter' (the coldest season). This verb was formed using the productive 'be-' prefix to create a verb meaning 'to cause to be in winter' or 'to subject to winter conditions,' though the word is extremely rare in modern English.
Most people wouldn't think to use 'bewinter' today, but it reflects how the 'be-' prefix could turn any season into a verb—you could theoretically 'bespring' or 'besummer' something too. These words show that Early Modern English speakers were endlessly creative with word formation in ways we've mostly abandoned.
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