v. Forms: 1 bewépan, 2–4 biwepen, -weopen, 4–6 bi-, by-, bewepe, 7 beweepe, 6– beweep. Pa. t. 1–4 beweop, 2 biwiep, 4–6 bywepte, 6– bewept. See BEWEPT. [OE. bewépan = OFris. biwêpa, OS. biwôpian, f. be-, bi-, BE- 4 + wôpian, wêpan to WEEP.]
1. trans. To weep for, weep over, deplore (the dead, losses, sins, etc.).
c. 1000. Ælfric, Deut. xxxiv. 8. And Israhela bearn hine beweopon þritiʓ daʓa.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 39. Þu scalt bi wepen þine sunne.
1388. Wyclif, Matt. ii. 18. Rachel biwepynge hir sones.
1494. Fabyan, VII. ccxxv. 252. The kynge … bewepte yt vnskylfull dede.
1561. Veron, Hunt. Purgat., 25 b. The Egiptians bewept him seventye dayes.
c. 1600. Shaks., Sonn., xxix. I all alone beweepe my out-cast state.
1678. Shadwell, Timon, v. I’ll beweep these comforts.
1876. Swinburne, Erechtheus, 81. Boast me not blameless nor beweep me wronged.
2. To wet or moisten with, or as with, tears.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., IV. 61. Yf lukewarm hem by-wepe, Thai wol be greet.
1530. Palsgr., 453/2. I bewepe, I slubber a thynge with wepyng.
1587. Turberv., Trag. T. (1837), 178. Which bones he long bewept with teares.
1848. Kingsley, Saint’s Trag., V. i. 230. And passing clouds bewept … Those wasted limbs.
† 3. intr. To weep. Obs.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., I. vi. 26. For þe same þing songe þou a lytel here … byweyledest and byweptest.
1388. Wyclif, Rev. xviii. 9. The kingis of the erthe schulen biwepe, and biweile hem silf on hir.
