beg 1
/beg/ , v. , begged, begging .
v.t.
1. to ask for as a gift, as charity, or as a favor: to beg alms; to beg forgiveness.
2. to ask (someone) to give or do something; implore: He begged me for mercy. Sit down, I beg you.
3. to take for granted without basis or justification: a statement that begs the very point we're disputing.
4. to fail or refuse to come to grips with; avoid; evade: a report that consistently begs the whole problem.
v.i.
5. to ask alms or charity; live by asking alms.
6. to ask humbly or earnestly: begging for help; begging to differ.
7. (of a dog) to sit up, as trained, in a posture of entreaty.
8. beg off , to request or obtain release from an obligation, promise, etc.: He had promised to drive us to the recital but begged off at the last minute.
9. beg the question , to assume the truth of the very point raised in a question.
10. go begging , to remain open or available, as a position that is unfilled or an unsold item: The job went begging for lack of qualified applicants.
[ bef. 900; ME beggen, by assimilation from OE * bedican, syncopated var. of bedecian to beg; cf. Goth bidagwa beggar. See BEAD ]
Syn. 2. entreat, pray, beseech, petition. BEG and REQUEST are used in certain conventional formulas, in the sense of ask. BEG, once a part of many formal expressions used in letter writing, debate, etc., is now used chiefly in such courteous formulas as I beg your pardon; The Committee begs to report, etc. REQUEST, more impersonal and now more formal, is used in giving courteous orders ( You are requested to report ) and in commercial formulas like to request payment.
beg 2
/bayg, beg/ , n.
bey.
[ 1680-90; ]