BE, v.i. substantive, ppr.being; pp.been.[The sense is to stand, remain or be fixed; hence to continue. This verb is defective, and its defects are supplied by verbs from other roots, as, is, was, were, which have no radical connection with be. The case is the same with the substantive verb in most languages.]

A prefix, as in because, before, beset, bedeck, is the same word as by; Sax. be, big; Goth. bi. It is common to the English, Saxon, Gothic, German, Dutch, Danish and Swedish languages. It occurs probably in the Russian, but is written po, as it is in possideo, and a few other words in the Latin. It denotes nearness, closeness, about, on, at, from some root signifying to pass or to press. [See By.] That this word is the Shemitic ב, used as a prefix, is certain, not only from its general applications, which may be seen by comparing the uses of the word, in the Hebrew for instance, with those in the Saxon; but from its use in particular phrases particularly in its use before the name of the Supreme Being in swearing. Hence we find that ב is not from בה nor from בית, as Parkhurst supposes, but is an abbreviation of big, which is used in the Saxon, bigspell, a proverb, a by-word; bigstandan, to stand by.

1. To be fixed; to exist; to have a real state or existence, for a longer or shorter time. Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus. – Phil. ii. To be, contents his natural desire. – Pope.
2. To be made to be; to become. And they twain shall be one flesh. – Matth. xix. Jer. xxxii.
3. To remain. Let the garment be as it was made.
4. To be present in a place. Where was I at the time? When will you be at my house?
5. To have a particular manner of being or happening; as, how is this affair? how was it? what were the circumstances? This verb is used as an auxiliary in forming the tenses of other verbs, and particularly in giving to them the passive form; as, he has been disturbed. It forms, with the infinitive, a particular future tense, which often expresses duty, necessity or purpose; as, government is to be supported; we are to pay our just debts. Let be is to omit, or leave untouched; to let alone. Let be, said he, my prey. – Dryden.

1. To exist actually, or in the world of fact; to have existence.
   
   

   To be contents his natural desire.
   Pope.

   To be, or not to be: that is the question.
   Shak.

2. A prefix, originally the same word as by;
   
   
   joined with verbs, it serves: (a)
3. To exist in a certain manner or relation, -- whether as a reality or as a product of thought; to exist as the subject of a certain predicate, that is, as having a certain attribute, or as belonging to a certain sort, or as identical with what is specified, -- a word or words for the predicate being annexed; as, to be happy; to be here; to be large, or strong; to be an animal; to be a hero; to be a nonentity; three and two are five; annihilation is the cessation of existence; that is the man.
4. To take place; to happen; as, the meeting was on Thursday.
5. To signify; to represent or symbolize; to answer to.
   
   

   The field is the world.
   Matt. xiii. 38.

   The seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
   Rev. i. 20.

   * The verb to be (including the forms is, was, etc.) is used in forming the passive voice of other verbs; as, John has been struck by James. It is also used with the past participle of many intransitive verbs to express a state of the subject. But have is now more commonly used as the auxiliary, though expressing a different sense; as, "Ye have come too late -- but ye are come. " "The minstrel boy to the war is gone." The present and imperfect tenses form, with the infinitive, a particular future tense, which expresses necessity, duty, or purpose; as, government is to be supported; we are to pay our just debts; the deed is to be signed to- morrow.

   Have or had been, followed by to, implies movement. "I have been to Paris." Sydney Smith. "Have you been to Franchard ?" R. L. Stevenson.

   * Been, or ben, was anciently the plural of the indicative present. "Ye ben light of the world." Wyclif, Matt. v. 14. Afterwards be was used, as in our Bible: "They that be with us are more than they that be with them." 2 Kings vi. 16. Ben was also the old infinitive: "To ben of such power." R. of Gloucester. Be is used as a form of the present subjunctive: "But if it be a question of words and names." Acts xviii. 15. But the indicative forms, is and are, with if, are more commonly used.

   Be it so, a phrase of supposition, equivalent to suppose it to be so; or of permission, signifying let it be so. Shak. -- If so be, in case. -- To be from, to have come from; as, from what place are you? I am from Chicago. -- To let be, to omit, or leave untouched; to let alone. "Let be, therefore, my vengeance to dissuade." Spenser.

   Syn. -- To be, Exist. The verb to be, except in a few rare cases, like that of Shakespeare's "To be, or not to be", is used simply as a copula, to connect a subject with its predicate; as, man is mortal; the soul is immortal. The verb to exist is never properly used as a mere copula, but points to things that stand forth, or have a substantive being; as, when the soul is freed from all corporeal alliance, then it truly exists. It is not, therefore, properly synonymous with to be when used as a copula, though occasionally made so by some writers for the sake of variety; as in the phrase "there exists [is] no reason for laying new taxes." We may, indeed, say, "a friendship has long existed between them," instead of saying, "there has long been a friendship between them;" but in this case, exist is not a mere copula. It is used in its appropriate sense to mark the friendship as having been long in existence.