befruit

English

Etymology

From be- (“upon, about, all over”) +‎ fruit.

Verb

befruit (third-person singular simple present befruits, present participle befruiting, simple past and past participle befruited)

1. (transitive, rare) To endow, cover, or adorn with fruit (all senses); (by extension) to make fruitful.
   • 1902, María de Jesús (de Agreda, sor), Mystical City of God:

     I present to Thee these new children, with whom Thou hast so quickly befruited it and also my desire that they receive holy Baptism, since they have already been instructed in the faith.

   • 1951, Jay H. Cerf, The Intellectual Basis of Nazism, page 115:

     A fresh young Germany must be planted here and there across the seas. We shall befruit it... with the outcome of our toils and struggles, beget and bring up noblest children, children like unto the gods.

   • 1978, Antæus, page 91:

     This, shown by blood in an awful wattle at my groin, and numerous barberries of it befruiting my chest's long scrape — but notwithstanding at he now coursing through my sex's pretty bit, I perforce must help prop A. […]

   • 2008, Sandro Del-Prete, Annemarie Koch, The Master of Illusions: Pictures to Ponder from a Visual Virtuoso:

     The dipper rushed to her aid and caught her, asking the slightly inebriated glass if he could "befruit" her, or deposit some sweet pieces of fruit into the glass.

Synonyms

• fruiten

Derived terms

• befruited