The Collaborative International Dictionary
Beseem \Be*seem"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beseemed; p. pr. & vb. n. Beseeming.] [Pref. be- + seem.] Literally: To appear or seem (well, ill, best, etc.) for (one) to do or to have. Hence: To be fit, suitable, or proper for, or worthy of; to become; to befit.
A duty well beseeming the preachers.
--Clarendon.
What form of speech or behavior beseemeth us, in our
prayers to God ?
--Hocker.
Beseeming \Be*seem"ing\, n.
-
Appearance; look; garb. [Obs.]
I . . . did company these three in poor beseeming.
--Shak. Comeliness.
--Baret.
Beseeming \Be*seem"ing\, a. Becoming; suitable. [Archaic] -- Be*seem"ing*ly, adv. -- Be*seem"ing*ness, n.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
1520s, present participle adjective from beseem.
Wiktionary
n. 1 (context obsolete English) appearance; look; garb 2 (context obsolete English) comeliness vb. (present participle of beseem English)
Usage examples of "beseeming".
Yet weet ye well, that to a courage greatIt is no lesse beseeming well, to beareThe storme of fortunes frowne, or heauens threat,Then in the sunshine of her countenance cleareTimely to ioy, and carrie comely cheare.
Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word, By thee, old Capulet, and Montague, Have thrice disturb'd the quiet of our streets, And made Verona's ancient citizens Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments, To wield old partisans, in hands as old, Canker'd with peace, to part your canker'd hate: If ever you disturb our streets again, Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.
The other ladies all depended on beseemings whenever they went out in public.
Such beseemings had no effect from far off, but the closer you came to a woman with a beseeming of beauty, the more you began to feel that her face was particularly beautiful.
The best he could get, riding along in the wagon, keeping his eyes on the road ahead, was that somehow these hexes were doing a powerful beseeming, making her look to be something that she wasn't.
But Alvin had little practice with beseemings, and none at all with beseemings wove from hexes.
Most folks did a beseeming with a word and a gesture, tied up with a drawing of what they wanted to seem to be.
Since Alvin always saw through it, such beseemings had no hold on him.
The best he could get, riding along in the wagon, keeping his eyes on the road ahead, was that somehow these hexes were doing a powerful beseeming, making her look to be something that she wasn’t.
Why is that lean doctor so slow-- cadaverous man with hollow jaw and sunken eye, ill beseeming the richness of his mother church!
It was a quiet, sombre, clerical house, beseeming such a man as the warden, and thus he afterwards frequented it.