bequeath

[ bih-kweeth, -kweeth ]
/ bɪˈkwið, -ˈkwiθ /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR bequeath ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to dispose of (personal property, especially money) by last will: She bequeathed her half of the company to her niece.
to hand down; pass on.
Obsolete. to commit; entrust.

Origin of bequeath

before 1000; Middle English bequethen, Old English becwethan ( be- be- + cwethan to say (see quoth), cognate with Old High German quedan, Gothic qithan)

OTHER WORDS FROM bequeath

Words nearby bequeath

benét, beograd, beothuk, beowulf, bepaint, bequeath, bequest, ber. is., berachah, berakah, berakhah

Words related to bequeathal

endowment, inheritance, settlement, legacy, estate, gift, devise, dower, bestowal, heritage, trust, devisal, ancestry, bequeathment

British Dictionary definitions for bequeathal

bequeath
/ (bɪˈkwiːð, -ˈkwiːθ) /

verb (tr)

law to dispose of (property, esp personal property) by will Compare devise (def. 2)
to hand down; pass on, as to following generations

Derived forms of bequeath

bequeather, noun bequeathal, noun

Word Origin for bequeath

Old English becwethan; related to Old Norse kvetha to speak, Gothic qithan, Old High German quethan