Forms: 3–6 bysege, 4 biseche, 4–5 be-, bisege, 5 biseige, 7 besiedge, -sige, 5– besiege. [ME. bi-, by-, besege(n, f. BE- 1 + sege(n, aphetic f. asege(n, ASSIEGE.]
1. trans. To sit down before (a town, castle, etc.) with armed forces in order to capture it; to lay siege to, beleaguer, invest.
1297. R. Glouc., 387. Þys ost wende þuderward … And byseged þen castel syx wouke wel vaste.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 9211. Twelve moneþ he biseged hit.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 4275. Þyn barons … þat so buþ be-seged on þat tour.
1382. Wyclif, Isa. xxi. 2. Steeȝh vp, Elam, and bisege [v.r. biseche] Medeba.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., 9. A certeyn Cite … was biseigyd with … enemeys of þe Emperoure.
1595. Shaks., John, II. i. 489. This Cittie now by vs besiedg’d.
1611. Bible, 1 Sam. xxiii. 8. Saul called all the people together … to besiege Dauid, and his men.
1671. Milton, P. R., III. 339. Agrican with all his northern powers Besieg’d Albracca.
1844. Thirlwall, Greece, VII. lx. 67. Antigonus besieged the city for ten months.
b. fig. and transf.
c. 1600. Shaks., Sonn., ii. When forty winters shall besiege thy brow. Ibid. (1601), All’s Well, II. i. 10. The mallady That doth my life besiege.
1608. Armin, Nest Ninn., 31. Having wrung off her neck, begins to besiedge that good morsel.
2. transf. To crowd round like a besieging army; to block up, hem in.
1686. Gentl. Recr., I. 101. A Planet is besieged, when he is between the Bodies of the two … Malevolents, Saturn and Mars.
1717. Pope, Elegy Unfort. Lady, 38. Frequent hearses shall besiege your gates.
1789. Jefferson, Corr. (1830), 20. The people have besieged the doors of the bakers.
3. fig. To assail with importunate addresses or prayers.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 534, ¶ 5. There is one gentleman who besieges me as close as the French did Bouchain.
1737. Pope, Hor. Ep., I. vii. 29. Fools with compliments besiege ye.
1850. Alison, Hist. Europe, VIII. l. § 45. The ministers were besieged with innumerable applications for every office.
1867. Parkman, Jesuits N. Amer., xix. (1875), 293. Pious souls … who daily and nightly besieged Heaven with supplications.
