Be \Be\ (b[=e]), v. i. [imp. {Was} (w[o^]z); p. p. {Been} (b[i^]n); p. pr. & vb. n. {Being}.] [OE. been, beon, AS. be['o]n to be, be['o]m I am; akin to OHG. bim, pim, G. bin, I am, Gael. & Ir. bu was, W. bod to be, Lith. bu-ti, O. Slav. by-ti, to be, L. fu-i I have been, fu-turus about to be, fo-re to be about to be, and perh. to fieri to become, Gr. fy^nai to be born, to be, Skr. bh[=u] to be. This verb is defective, and the parts lacking are supplied by verbs from other roots, is, was, which have no radical connection with be. The various forms, am, are, is, was, were, etc., are considered grammatically as parts of the verb ``to be'', which, with its conjugational forms, is often called the substantive verb. [root]97. Cf. {Future}, {Physic}.] 1. To exist actually, or in the world of fact; to have existence.
To be contents his natural desire. --Pope.
To be, or not to be: that is the question. --Shak.
2. To exist in a certain manner or relation, -- whether as a reality or as a product of thought; to exist as the subject of a certain predicate, that is, as having a certain attribute, or as belonging to a certain sort, or as identical with what is specified, -- a word or words for the predicate being annexed; as, to be happy; to be here; to be large, or strong; to be an animal; to be a hero; to be a nonentity; three and two are five; annihilation is the cessation of existence; that is the man.
3. To take place; to happen; as, the meeting was on Thursday.
4. To signify; to represent or symbolize; to answer to.
The field is the world. --Matt. xiii. 38.
The seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. --Rev. i. 20.
Note: The verb to be (including the forms is, was, etc.) is used in forming the passive voice of other verbs; as, John has been struck by James. It is also used with the past participle of many intransitive verbs to express a state of the subject. But have is now more commonly used as the auxiliary, though expressing a different sense; as, ``Ye have come too late -- but ye are come. '' ``The minstrel boy to the war is gone.'' The present and imperfect tenses form, with the infinitive, a particular future tense, which expresses necessity, duty, or purpose; as, government is to be supported; we are to pay our just debts; the deed is to be signed to-morrow.
Note: Have or had been, followed by to, implies movement. ``I have been to Paris.'' --Sydney Smith. ``Have you been to Franchard ?'' --R. L. Stevenson.
Note: Been, or ben, was anciently the plural of the indicative present. ``Ye ben light of the world.'' --Wyclif, Matt. v. 14. Afterwards be was used, as in our Bible: ``They that be with us are more than they that be with them.'' --2 Kings vi. 16. Ben was also the old infinitive: ``To ben of such power.'' --R. of Gloucester. Be is used as a form of the present subjunctive: ``But if it be a question of words and names.'' --Acts xviii. 15. But the indicative forms, is and are, with if, are more commonly used.
{Be it so}, a phrase of supposition, equivalent to suppose it to be so; or of permission, signifying let it be so. --Shak.
{If so be}, in case.
{To be from}, to have come from; as, from what place are you? I am from Chicago.
{To let be}, to omit, or leave untouched; to let alone. ``Let be, therefore, my vengeance to dissuade.'' --Spenser.
Syn: {To be}, {Exist}.
Usage: The verb to be, except in a few rare cases, like that of Shakespeare's ``To be, or not to be'', is used simply as a copula, to connect a subject with its predicate; as, man is mortal; the soul is immortal. The verb to exist is never properly used as a mere copula, but points to things that stand forth, or have a substantive being; as, when the soul is freed from all corporeal alliance, then it truly exists. It is not, therefore, properly synonymous with to be when used as a copula, though occasionally made so by some writers for the sake of variety; as in the phrase ``there exists [is] no reason for laying new taxes.'' We may, indeed, say, ``a friendship has long existed between them,'' instead of saying, ``there has long been a friendship between them;'' but in this case, exist is not a mere copula. It is used in its appropriate sense to mark the friendship as having been long in existence.
This, combined with the container division talks, suggests the group's bankers might be considering an orderly disposal of all assets.
According to a study by the Marshall Institute, the average NASA employee's age in 1963 was 30; now most of its senior and middle-managers will be eligible to retire in five years.
He said Muscovites, who gave him 89 percent of the vote in a two-way race in March, would be "partially satisfied." On the march to Pushkin Square, a city bus stopped, and dozens of passengers got off to join in.
"My husband says he's not sure he'll be employed next month." Some retailers insist all the promotional sales, savings coupons and other marketing efforts are drawing customers.
While the results of Gulf States' campaign remain to be seen, it is also arousing the company's easily aroused critics.
The kit has an adaptor with crocodile clips 'enabling access to be made directly into a convenient wall box.'
That would be quite impossible without either uncounted cash subsidies or uncounted in-kind aid that frees up cash that otherwise would be needed for necessities.
That would be quite impossible without either uncounted cash subsidies or uncounted in-kind aid that frees up cash that otherwise would be needed for necessities.
"My gut reaction is that consumers wouldn't be aware" of the alleged safety problems, said J.D. Powers' Mr. Cedergren.
The single Independent in the upper house, Senator Brian Harradine, sided with the opposition. The legislation will now be referred back to the House of Representatives, which has already approved all eight budget bills.
Turco said the study assumes that in even a small nuclear exchange the primary target would be oil and gas storage areas because such material is vital to military defense.
"It is my fervent hope that we will be able to reach an agreement that will be satisfactory to all concerned," Mitchell said.
"It is my fervent hope that we will be able to reach an agreement that will be satisfactory to all concerned," Mitchell said.
For nervous Conservative backbenchers with an eye on the next election, that might be no bad thing.
The maze design had to be adapted to meet certain U.S. standards, including exits to comply with fire codes, and breakaway panels in case of emergency.
A vaccine would be proven, he said, only when it is shown to give protection against the effects of these substances also.
Two sisters put up for adoption in Frankfurt, West Germany, 10 years ago will be reunited at the festivities.
Secondly, there was no desk to spare in the whole office and one had to be bought.
Citizens Financial Group Inc. has agreed to be acquired for $440 million by the Royal Bank of Scotland, the sixth-largest banking group in the United Kingdom.
The erosion of existing barriers to trade and investment in air services is likely to be accompanied by a major restructuring of the world airline industry.
For the Balts, this means Washington is a lot friendlier than it used to be.
The East German news agency ADN reported Saturday that 70 segments of the Berlin Wall will be auctioned off on June 23 in the principality of Monaco.
"We have done extensive testing in attempts to identify any common design flaw that would be a root cause" for sudden acceleration, the spokesman said.
"Our investment banker felt the price should be increased to enable it to render a fairness opinion," said James E. Buckman, Days Inns executive vice president and general counsel.
"That's not going to make people live their lives together and be responsible to each other," she says.
Aker would not be drawn on details of the foreign investors. Mr Tom Ruud, Aker's chief executive, said the disposal had improved liquidity and cleared the way for the planned listing on the London stock exchange.
The federal government will push harder to revive atomic power. Tax dollars may be used to develop a nuclear reactor with added safety features, but public opposition to the atom is likely to persist.
For starters, be aware of what these performance numbers really represent.
He said the investigation would be turned over to the Will County state's attorney's office.
The new company's chairman would be Craig Wiggins, currently chairman of Foote Cone's European operations, and its vice chairman would be Gerard Pedraglio, a top Publicis executive.