behang

English

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle English *behangen, behongen, bihangien, bihengen, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old English behōn (“to hang round”), equivalent to be- +‎ hang. Cognate with Dutch behangen (“to decorate”), German behängen (“to hang, drape, decorate”).

Verb

behang (third-person singular simple present behangs, present participle behanging, simple past and past participle behung)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To hang round or about; depend; suspend; drape.
   • 1824, Richard Johnson, The renowned history of the seven champions of Christendom:

     Now seven times had frosty-bearded Winter covered both herbs and flowers with snow, and behung the trees with crystal icicles, since the unfortunate St. George beheld the cheerful light of heaven, but lived obscure in a dismal dungeon, [...]

   • 1890, Robert Herrick, William Carew Hazlitt, Hesperides:

     And with rich clusters (hid among The leaves) her temples I behung: [...]

2. (transitive) To ornament; embellish.
   • 1874, Plutarch, John Dryden, Arthur Hugh Clough, Plutarch's lives:

     Moreover, when they have introduced the bride, they spread a fleece under her; and she, having brought in with her a distaff and a spindle, all behangs her husband's door with woollen yarn?

Derived terms

• behung

Anagrams

• Ah Beng

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Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bəˈɦɑŋ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: be‧hang
• Rhymes: -ɑŋ

Etymology 1

From behangen.

Noun

behang n (uncountable, diminutive behangetje n)

1. wallpaper

   Synonyms: behangpapier, behangselpapier

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

behang

1. (deprecated template usage) first-person singular present indicative of behangen
2. (deprecated template usage) imperative of behangen