Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- In astrology, said of a planet which is between two others.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb Simple past tense and past participle of
besiege .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective surrounded by hostile forces
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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The word besieged her; she caught herself uttering it, and while she uttered it the time itself seemed to have slipped by.
The Philanderers 1906
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Constantine, after enjoying a short and anxious respite, was again besieged in his capital by the arms of a more formidable enemy.
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire 1206
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Notwithstanding this weak invention, Italy was still afflicted, Rome was again besieged, and the suburb of Classe, only three miles from Ravenna, was pillaged and occupied by the troops of a simple duke of Spoleto.
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire 1206
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Beckinsale and Tom Skerritt (playing Dr. John Fury) simply aren’t given enough to work with and are besieged from the outset by a silly plot, poorly developed characters and an underwhelming finale.
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The pro-Mousavi supporters were being aimed by the besieged, which is the government-funded militia.
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The greatest distress of the besieged was the narrowness of the place they were in, their quarters being very confined, and the whole place but two furlongs in compass; so that both they and their horses fed without exercise.
The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans Plutarch 2003
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For thirty yards on either side of the besieged was a stretch of bare, open ground.
Heart of the West [Annotated] O. Henry 1886
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The first warning of this to the besieged was another volley, which sent bullets through the windows and the crack in the door, without doing the slightest injury.
Janice Meredith Paul Leicester Ford 1883
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Among the besieged was a monk named Schmidt, probably one of the Low-country men to whom the Franche Comté was then a sort of home, as forming part of the dominions of Spain; and this monk was the most active supporter of the defence, against the large party within the walls which was anxious to render the town.
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On the side of the besieged was a figure that soon attracted great notice by promenading under fire.
The Cloister and the Hearth Charles Reade 1849
arby commented on the word besieged
An astrological term.
"Bonatus describes a besieged planet as one that separates from a malefic and applies to another (Con. 6). It shows a situation that is going from bad to worse.
William Lilly described a planet besieged as one that lies between the bodies of the two malefics Mars and Saturn. His example is Mars at 10 ° Aries, Venus 13° Aries, and Saturn 15° Aries. It is generally accepted that besiegement can occur by aspect as well as bodily conjunction. As a principle it refers to a planet trapped by hostile forces on either side."
May 29, 2007