bewill

bewill

English

Etymology 1

From be- +‎ will.

Verb

bewill (third-person singular simple present bewills, present participle bewilling, simple past and past participle bewilled)

1. (transitive) To will (to); bequeath by a will or testament.
   • 1800, Charles Viner, A general abridgment of law and equity:

     The other testamentary writing was on stamped paper, and was as follows: "This is my last will and testament, at my death for "my husband to bewill to him the sum of 300/., which is now "in the joint stock annuities, for his own use [...]"

Derived terms

• bewilled

Etymology 2

From be- +‎ will (“wandering, stray, lost in error”). Cognate with Scots bewild (“to bewill”).

Verb

bewill (third-person singular simple present bewills, present participle bewilling, simple past and past participle bewilled)

1. (Britain dialectal, Scotland) To cause to go astray.