umbecast

English

Etymology

From Middle English umbecasten, equivalent to umbe- +‎ cast or um- +‎ becast.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌʌmbəˈkæst/, /ˌʌmbəˈkɑːst/

Verb

umbecast (third-person singular simple present umbecasts, present participle umbecasting, simple past and past participle umbecast)

1. (transitive, intransitive, obsolete or dialectal) To cast about; make a circuit; travel around (a place).
2. (transitive, intransitive, obsolete or dialectal) To consider, ponder.
3. To hunt, search for the spoor, explore, seek, sniff around.
   • 1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “(please specify the chapter)”, in [Le Morte Darthur], (please specify the book number), [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, →OCLC; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889, →OCLC:

     […] and the dog came after, and umbecast about, for she had lost the very perfect feute of the hind.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

4. To surround, encircle, beset; umbeset, circle around.
5. To bind, tie up.
6. To cast a shadow, cover with a shadow, shade

References

“umbecast”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.