verb
bestand
Bestand (verb) means to stand close to or around something.
verb
1
To stand close to or around something.
2
To surround someone in a threatening way; to harass them.
3
To be positioned all around something; to enclose it.
4
To be ready and willing to help or serve someone.
"Would not children come kindly to such out-of-door lessons, and to such practical knowledge as would always bestand them well?"
— Donald Grant Mitchell, The works of Donald G. Mitchell (1907)
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Etymology
Comes from Middle English bistanden, bestanden, from Old English bestandan, from Proto-West Germanic *bistandan, from Proto-Germanic *bistandaną ("to surround, support"), equivalent to be- ("around, by") + stand.
Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of bestand?
"bestand" (verb) means to stand close to or around something.
What are the different meanings of bestand?
"bestand" has 3 main meanings: 1. To stand close to or around something; 2. To surround someone in a threatening way; to harass them; 3. To be positioned all around something; to enclose it.
