beguine

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Beg·uine

(bā′gēn′, bā-gēn′)

n. Roman Catholic Church

A member of any of several lay sisterhoods founded in the Netherlands in the 13th century.

[Middle English begine, from Old French beguine, from Middle Dutch beg-, root of beggaert, one who rattles off prayers.]

be·guine

(bĭ-gēn′)

1. A ballroom dance similar to the foxtrot, based on a dance of Martinique and St. Lucia.

2. The music for this dance.

[French (West Indies) béguine, from French béguin, hood, flirtation, from beguine, Beguine; see Beguine.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

beguine

(bɪˈɡiːn)

1. (Dancing) a dance of South American origin in bolero rhythm

2. (Music, other) a piece of music in the rhythm of this dance

3. (Clothing & Fashion) a variant of biggin¹

[C20: from Louisiana French, from French béguin flirtation]

Beguine

(ˈbɛɡiːn)

(Christian Churches, other) a member of a Christian sisterhood that was founded in Liège in the 12th century, and, though not taking religious vows, followed an austere life

[C15: from Old French, perhaps after Lambert le Bègue (the Stammerer), 12th-century priest of Liège, who founded the sisterhood]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

be•guine

(bəˈgin)

n.

a dance in bolero rhythm that originated in Martinique.

[1930–35; < French (West Indies) béguine, feminine derivative of French béguin infatuation, literally, a kind of cap, orig. one worn by a Beguine]

Beg•uine

(ˈbɛg in, ˈbeɪ gin, bəˈgin)

n.

a member of a Roman Catholic lay sisterhood founded in Liège in the 13th century.

[1350–1400; Middle English begyne < Middle French beguine, said to be after Lambert (le) Begue (the stammerer), founder of the order; see -ine ¹]

beguine

A broad term referring to the traditional music of a large part of the West Indies including Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico. Characterized by the almost universal use of the clarinet and the trombone.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	Beguine - (Roman Catholic Church) a member of a lay sisterhood (one of several founded in the Netherlands in the 12th and 13th centuries); though not taking religious vows the sisters followed an austere life sisterhood - a religious society of women who live together as sisters (especially an order of nuns) Church of Rome, Roman Catholic Church, Roman Church, Western Church, Roman Catholic - the Christian Church based in the Vatican and presided over by a pope and an episcopal hierarchy sister - a female person who is a fellow member of a sorority or labor union or other group; "none of her sisters would betray her"
	2.	beguine - music written in the bolero rhythm of the beguine dance dance music - music to dance to
	3.	beguine - a ballroom dance that originated in the French West Indies; similar to the rumba ballroom dance, ballroom dancing - any of a variety of social dances performed by couples in a ballroom

Translations

béguine

beghino

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References in periodicals archive ?

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In her essay, which focuses on lay religious women in thirteenth-century Brabant, Vera von der Osten-Sacken casts more light onto the character of the beguine movements and their daily accomplishments.

Bohringer, Letha, Jennifer Kolpacoff Deane, and Hildo van Engen, eds, Labels and Libels: Naming Beguines in Northern Medieval Europe

Amazingly, many beguine communities survived for a long time despite oppression, wars, the plague, and other human and natural disasters.

The Wisdom of the Beguines

When an unexpected pregnancy occurred, the beguine went away to have the child, then often returned to her beguinage to raise the child along with other children, thereby avoiding the twin prospects of forced marriage or a destitute life.