verb
bestride
Bestride (verb) means to sit or stand over something with one leg on each side, as you would on a horse.
verb
1
To sit or stand over something with one leg on each side, as you would on a horse.
"Again I bestride the mitred, leather-winged steed."
— Gene Wolfe (1981)
"He made out a stubby automobile bestriding the narrow road."
— Christopher Reich, New York: Delacorte (1998)
2
To step over or across something with one big movement.
3
To have a very powerful and controlling influence over something.
"Over the past two hundred years the English language has risen, seemingly irresistably, to its present position of world-bestriding supremacy."
— Anthony Paul, Dutch Literature and the Translation Barrier (1990)
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Etymology
Comes from Middle English bestriden, from Old English bestrīdan, from Proto-West Germanic *bistrīdan, equivalent to be- + stride. Compare Dutch bestrijden and German bestreiten.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for bestride
See all rhymes for bestride →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of bestride?
"bestride" (verb) means to sit or stand over something with one leg on each side, as you would on a horse.
What is another word for bestride?
Other words for "bestride" include straddle, mount.
What are the different meanings of bestride?
"bestride" has 3 main meanings: 1. To sit or stand over something with one leg on each side, as you would on a horse; 2. To step over or across something with one big movement; 3. To have a very powerful and controlling influence over something.
