/bee/ ; unstressed /bee, bi/ , v. and auxiliary v., pres. sing. 1st pers. am , 2nd are or ( Archaic ) art , 3rd is , pres. pl. are; past sing. 1st pers. was , 2nd were or ( Archaic ) wast or wert , 3rd was , past pl. were; pres. subj. be; past subj. sing. 1st pers. were , 2nd were or ( Archaic ) wert , 3rd were; past subj. pl. were; past part. been; pres. part. being .
v.i.
1. to exist or live: Shakespeare's "To be or not to be" is the ultimate question.
2. to take place; happen; occur: The wedding was last week.
3. to occupy a place or position: The book is on the table.
4. to continue or remain as before: Let things be.
5. to belong; attend; befall: May good fortune be with you.
6. (used as a copula to connect the subject with its predicate adjective, or predicate nominative, in order to describe, identify, or amplify the subject): Martha is tall. John is president. This is she.
7. (used as a copula to introduce or form interrogative or imperative sentences): Is that right? Be quiet! Don't be facetious.
auxiliary verb.
8. (used with the present participle of another verb to form the progressive tense): I am waiting.
9. (used with the present participle or infinitive of the principal verb to indicate future action): She is visiting there next week. He is to see me today.
10. (used with the past participle of another verb to form the passive voice): The date was fixed. It must be done.
11. (used in archaic or literary constructions with some intransitive verbs to form the perfect tense): He is come. Agamemnon to the wars is gone.
[ bef. 900; ME been, OE beon ( beo- (akin to OFris, OHG bim, G bin, OS bium, biom (I) am, OE, OHG, OS buan, ON bua reside, L fui (I) have been, Gk phy- grow, become, OIr boí (he) was, Skt bhávati (he) becomes, is, Lith búti to be, OCS byti, Pers bud was)) + -n inf. suffix. See AM, IS, ARE 1 , WAS, WERE ]
Usage . See me .