2. (old).—A potation; a drinking bout; a time for drinking.
3. (old).—A small repast between meals; a snack: especially a snack between mid-day dinner and supper: see quots. Also as verb. Besides quots., see FORD, i. 392; FLORIO, in v. Merénda; COOPER, in v. Antecœnium; STANYHURST’S Description of Ireland, p. 18; Sir John Oldcastle, 42; HOWELL, sect. 43; MIDDLETON’S Works, iv. 427, v. 141.
1585. FLEMING, The Nomenclator, 79a. s.v. A middaies meale: an undermeale: a boire or BEAVER: a refreshing betwixt meales.
1607. T. TOMKIS, Lingua, or the Five Senses, ii. 1 [DODSLEY, Old Plays (REED), V. 148]. Appetitus. … Your gallants never sup, breakfast, or BEAVER without me.
1607. BEAUMONT and FLETCHER, The Woman-Hater, i. 3. He is none of those same ordinary eaters, that will devour three breakfasts and as many dinners, without any prejudice to their BEVERS, drinkings, or suppers.
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. BEVER, an afternoon’s Lunchion.
c. 1840. MANSFIELD, School-Life at Winchester College, 83. In summer time we were let out of afternoon school for a short time about four p.m., when there was a slight refection of bread and cheese laid out in Hall. It was called BEEVER-TIME, and the pieces of bread BEEVERS.
1847. HALLIWELL, A Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words, etc., s.v. BEVER. An intermediate refreshment between breakfast and dinner. The term is now applied to the afternoon snack of harvestmen and other labourers, and perhaps may be explained more correctly as any refreshment taken between the regular meals.
1884. M. MORRIS [in The English Illustrated Magazine, Nov., 73], ‘A Visit to Eton.’ [At Eton, we] came up from cricket in the summer afternoons for ‘BEVER.’
