benettle

English

Etymology

be- +‎ nettle

Verb

benettle (third-person singular simple present benettles, present participle benettling, simple past and past participle benettled)

1. To nettle:
   1. To whip or sting with nettles.
      • 1968, Evelyn Berckman, The Heir of Starvelings, page 56:

        As they retraced their benettled footsteps, Mr Truscott's silent rage was such as to obscure even […]

      • 2000, Robert J. Hasenfratz, Ancrene wisse, page 404:

        Next to the body let no one gird (or, belt) herself with any kind of belt, except by a confessor's permission, or [let anyone] wear any iron, or haircloth, or hedgehog's skins, or beat herself with them, or with a leaded scourge (i.e., a lead-tipped scourge), with holly or with briars, or bloody herself without [her] confessor's permission, in no place benettle herself (i.e., whip herself with nettles), or beat [herself] in front, or cut any slashes, or take at one time [any bodily] punishments too severe in order to quench temptations.

   2. (obsolete) To vex or provoke.
      • 1814, David Hitchcock, The Social Monitor, page 43:

        Where men of ordinary skill, May have the fortune, if they will, To keep in circumstances middling By nothing in the world but piddling ; Hence, with their fancies thus benettled, The future course of life is settled :

      • 1877, Detroit Amateur, The Croaker, page 22:

        It seems for this you felt yourself benettled ; You grieve that all as bad has not been settled.

      • 1894, Proceedings of the Annual Conclave of the Grand Commandery Knights Templar of the State of Mississippi, page 75:

        Sir Geore ^[sic] benettles the Grand Commander of Iowa for saying that "as Templars we are not judged by any standard or creed " And behold we humbly ask, "Is not Grand Commander correct?