besiege

From Middle English besegen, bisegen, equivalent to be- (“around, about”) +‎ siege.

• IPA^(key): /bəˈsiːd͡ʒ/

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• Rhymes: -iːdʒ
• Hyphenation: be‧siege

besiege (third-person singular simple present besieges, present participle besieging, simple past and past participle besieged)

1. (transitive) To beset or surround with armed forces for the purpose of compelling to surrender, to lay siege to, beleaguer.
2. (transitive, figuratively) To beleaguer, to vex, to lay siege to, to beset.
   • 1943 November and December, G. T. Porter, “The Lines Behind the Lines in Burma”, in Railway Magazine, page 325:

     When it arrived, the train was headed by a "K" class 4-6-0 wood-burning locomotive, and a water-tank wagon next to the tender was immediately besieged by women and girls, clad in their picturesque national costume, all with empty kerosene tins for water, a scene which was re-enacted at each stop down the line.

   • 2021 March 25, Phil McNulty, “England 5-0 San Marino”, in BBC Sport‎:

     They should have inflicted a much heavier loss on their besieged opponents, the highlight being a late goal for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins on debut after he came on as a substitute.

3. to assail or ply, as with requests or demands.

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besiege

1. inflection of besiegen:
   1. first-person singular present
   2. singular imperative
   3. first/third-person singular subjunctive I