I. bə̇ˈsīd, bē- adverb
Etymology: Middle English beside, besiden, adverb & preposition, from Old English be sīdan at or to the side, from be at, by (from bī ) + sīdan, dative & accusative of sīde side — more at by , side
1. archaic : in a nearby position : close by : alongside
2. archaic : besides
myself and divers gentlemen beside — Shakespeare
II. preposition
Etymology: Middle English beside, besiden
1.
a. : at or by the side of
walk beside me
: along or on one side of
the ditch beside the road
the road leads beside a branch of the White river — Bernard DeVoto
b. : close to : near : next to
there's an orchard beside the house, about a half mile off
c. : in comparison with
a writer needs to be a Walt Whitman if his faults of technique are to be rated unimportant beside the vigor of his personality — Douglas Stewart
d. : on a par with
a musical achievement that can be ranked beside that of the masters
2. : besides 1
beside being taken into a world of escapist literature a thoughtful reader can go somewhat further — J.P.Marquand
3. : besides 2
many creatures beside man live in communities — Stuart Chase
4.
a. obsolete : outside of
b. : away from (as through irrelevance) : wide of
beside the point
c. archaic : beyond the range of : contrary to
•
- beside oneself