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besant

 - 5 dictionary results

bes⋅ant

  [bez-uhnt, buh-zant]
Use besant in a Sentence
–noun
bezant.

Bes⋅ant

  [bez-uhnt for 1; buh-zant, older bez-uhnt for 2]
–noun
1. Annie (Wood), 1847–1933, English theosophist.
2. Sir Walter, 1836–1901, English novelist.

bez⋅ant

  [bez-uhnt, bi-zant]
–noun
1. Also, bezzant. the gold solidus of the Byzantine Empire, widely circulated in the Middle Ages.
2. Also, byzant. (in Romanesque architecture) any of a number of disklike ornaments, similar in form to the classical patera, used esp. on the faces of archivolts.
Also, besant.

Origin:
1150–1200; ME besant < OF < L byzantius (nummus) Byzantine (coin)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To besant
Bes·ant   (běz'ənt)   
English theosophist, philosopher, and political figure who advocated home rule and educational reforms in India.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

bezant 
"gold coin," c.1200, from O.Fr. besant, from L. byzantius, short for Byzantius nummus "coin of Byzantium."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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