Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

well-behaved

 - 5 dictionary results

be⋅have

  [bi-heyv] verb, -haved, -hav⋅ing.
Use well-behaved in a Sentence
–verb (used without object)
1. to act in a particular way; conduct or comport oneself or itself: The ship behaves well.
2. to act properly: Did the child behave?
3. to act or react under given circumstances: This plastic behaves strangely under extreme heat or cold.
–verb (used with object)
4. to conduct or comport (oneself) in a proper manner: Sit quietly and behave yourself.
Origin:
1400–50; late ME behaven (reflexive). See be-, have

Synonyms:
1. perform, acquit oneself, deport oneself.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To well-behaved
Word Origin & History

behave 
c.1410, from be- intensive prefix + have in the sense of "to have or bear oneself in a particular way, comport." O.E. behabban meant "to contain." Behavior is 1490, from havour, altered (by influence of have) from aver, from O.Fr. aveir "to have." Behaviorism coined 1913 by U.S. psychologist John B. Watson (1878-1958).

well-behaved 
1598, from well (adv.) + pp. of behave.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: be·have
Pronunciation: bi-'hAv
Function: verb
Inflected Forms: be·haved;be·hav·ing
transitivesenses
: to bear or conduct (oneself) in a particular way behave intransitive senses
: to act, function, or react in a particular way
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Computing Dictionary

well-behaved
1. [primarily MS-DOS] Said of software conforming to system interface guidelines and standards. Well-behaved software uses the operating system to do chores such as keyboard input, allocating memory and drawing graphics. Oppose ill-behaved.
2. Software that does its job quietly and without counterintuitive effects. Especially said of software having an interface spec sufficiently simple and well-defined that it can be used as a tool by other software. See cat.
[The Jargon File]

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
Cite This Source
Search another word or see well-behaved on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way