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beleaguer - 4 dictionary results

be⋅lea⋅guer

  [bi-lee-ger]
Use beleaguer in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. to surround with military forces.
2. to surround or beset, as with troubles.
Origin:
1580–90; be- + leaguer 1

Related forms:
be⋅lea⋅guer⋅er, noun

Synonyms:
2. harass, pester, badger, bother, vex, annoy, plague, hector.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To beleaguer
be·lea·guer   (bĭ-lē'gər)   
tr.v.   be·lea·guered, be·lea·guer·ing, be·lea·guers
  1. To harass; beset: We are beleaguered by problems.
  2. To surround with troops; besiege. See Synonyms at besiege.

[Probably Dutch belegeren : be-, around (from Middle Dutch bie; see ambhi in Indo-European roots) + leger, camp; see legh- in Indo-European roots.]
be·lea'guer·ment n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Beleaguer

Be*lea"guer\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beleaguered; p. pr. & vb. n. Beleaguering.] [D. belegeren (akin to G. belagern, Sw. bel["a]gra, Dan. beleire); pref. be- = E. be- + leger bed, camp, army, akin to E. lair. See Lair.] To surround with an army so as to preclude escape; to besiege; to blockade.

The wail of famine in beleaguered towns. --Longfellow.

Syn: To block up; environ; invest; encompass.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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beleaguer 
1589, from Du. belegeren "to besiege," from be- "around" + legeren "to camp." A 16c. word from the Flemish Wars. Spelling infl. by league.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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