befight

English

Etymology

From Middle English *befighten, *befeghten, from Old English befeohtan (“to take by fighting”), equivalent to be- +‎ fight. Cognate with Dutch bevechten (“to fight, combat”), Middle High German bevehten.

Verb

befight (third-person singular simple present befights, present participle befighting, simple past and past participle befought)

1. (transitive, obsolete) To deprive of by fighting.
2. (transitive, dialectal or obsolete) To fight against; contend; do battle with.