frequently_asked_questions_files/Oxford Thesaurus.pdf

front of; in the presence of: The entire valley was spread out
before me. 6 preceding, previous or anterior to, prior to; on
the eve of: Before my departure I have to kiss Annie goodbye.
7 in preference to, rather than, sooner than, more willingly
than: They said they would die before yielding.
--conj. 8 previous to or preceding the time when: This was a
nice place before the day-trippers arrived.
beg v. 1 entreat, beseech, plead (with), crave, implore, importune,
wheedle, cajole, supplicate (with), pray; ask for, request: She
begged me to stay. 2 solicit, sponge, Colloq cadge, scrounge,
US panhandle: When he was an alcoholic, he used to beg drinks
off everyone.
beggar n. 1 mendicant, supplicant, suppliant, alms-man, sponger,
tramp, vagrant, pauper, Colloq cadger, scrounger, US panhandler:
We were approached by beggars on every street corner. 2 fellow,
man, person, Colloq chap, guy, bloke: I feel sorry for the poor
beggar who lost his wallet at the station.
--v. 3 impoverish; want, challenge, defy, baffle: The misery
of those people beggars description.
begin v. 1 start (out or off or in or on), initiate, enter on or
upon, set out or about, set out on or upon, Rather formal
commence: We began the journey full of enthusiasm. 2 start
(off), inaugurate, originate, open, launch, create, establish,
found, set up; go into: We began the company five years ago. 3
arise, start, originate, Rather formal commence: The greatness
of the Prussian monarchy begins with Frederick II. The
paragraph begins in the middle of the page.
beginning n. 1 start, commencement, outset, onset, inception, dawn,
dawning, birth, genesis, origin, creation, day one; origination,
source, well-spring: There are several competing theories about
the beginning of life on earth. The beginning of the idea can be
traced to Galileo. 2 opening, start, inception, commencement: I
have plenty of energy at the beginning of the day. The book is
good at the beginning, but then it gets boring.
begrudge v. 1 resent, envy, grudge: She doesn't begrudge him his
success. 2 give (be)grudgingly or unwillingly or reluctantly,