Beget

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /biˈɡɛt/, /bɪˈɡɛt/, /bəˈɡɛt/
• Rhymes: -É›t

Origin

From Middle English begeten, biȝeten, from Old English beġietan ("to get, find, acquire, attain, receive, take, seize, happen, beget"), from Proto-Germanic *bigetaną ("to find, seize"), equivalent to - + get. Cognate with Old Saxon bigitan ("to find, seize"), Old High German bigezan ("to gain, achieve, win, procure") (German begatten ("to mate, copulate, beget")).

Full definition of beget

Verb

1. To cause; to produce.
2. To father (rarely: to mother); to sire; to produce (a child).
3. (UK dialectal) To happen to; befall.

Related terms

• begettal, unbegot, unbegotten