v. Obs. or arch. Forms: 6 beraye, (berey), 6–7 beray, 7–9 erroneously bewray. Pa. t. and pa. pple.: 6–7 beraid, -raied, -rayed. [f. BE- 2 + RAY v. (aphetic form of ARRAY: cf. for the sense ARRAY v. 10). Generally mis-spelt by modern writers through erroneous confusion with BEWRAY.] Hence Berayed ppl. a.
1. trans. To disfigure, dirty, defile, befoul (with dirt, filth, ordure).
1530. Palsgr., 449/1. You have berayed your gowne with myer.
1570. Holinshed, Scot. Chron. (1806), I. 296. The King was slaine … and the bed all beraied with bloud.
1678. N. Wanley, Wonders, V. ii. § 28. 470/1. When he was Baptized, he berayed the Font.
1670. Ray, Prov. (T.). It is an ill bird that berays its own nest.
1701. De Foe, True-born Englishm., Pref. 1. I am tax’d with Bewraying my own Nest.
1863. Sala, Capt. Dangerous, I. vii. 190. His Countenance and his Raiment were all smirched and bewrayed with dabs and patches of what seemed soot.
b. refl. and intr.
1561. Awdelay, Frat. Vacab., 13. This knave berayeth many tymes in the corners of his maisters chamber.
1611. Cotgr., s.v. Arc, To be beshitten; to beray himselfe.
1649. R. Hodges, Plain. Direct., 27. The childe did bewray, that hee would beray himself.
2. fig. To befoul, stain, disfigure; to asperse, to cover with abuse.
1576. Gascoigne, Steele Gl. (Arb.), 56. Wherein I see a quicke capacitye Berayde with blots of light Inconstancie.
1602. Return fr. Parnass., IV. v. (Arb.), 58. Our fellow Shakespeare hath giuen him a purge that made him beray his credit.
1863. Sala, Capt. Dangerous, I. s. 287. [She] did so bemaul and bewray Madam Macphilader with her tongue.
