bestrid

A knight bestrides his powerful warhorse.

Definition

1. Verb (past tense of ):
   • To have sat or stood with legs astride: "bestrid" is the past tense form of "bestride," meaning to have placed oneself over something with one leg on each side, as when riding a horse or straddling an object.
   • To have spanned or crossed: It can also mean to have stretched across something, like a bridge spanning a river.

Usage Examples

• Past tense (action completed):
  • He bestrid the horse with confidence and galloped away. (He sat astride the horse and rode.)
  • The ancient bridge bestrid the narrow gorge for centuries. (The bridge spanned the gorge, connecting its two sides.)

Advanced Usage

• "to bestrid the world": a poetic or figurative expression meaning to dominate or exert influence over a large area.
  • The emperor bestrid the known world, ruling from sea to sea. (He had vast power and control.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bestride (verb, present tense): to sit or stand with legs astride.

  • She can bestride a horse easily. (She can mount and ride a horse.)

• Bestrode (past tense, alternative): an older or less common past tense form of "bestride."

  • He bestrode the fallen tree to cross the stream. (He straddled the tree to get over.)

• Bestridden (past participle): the past participle form.

  • The horse had been bestridden by the knight. (The horse was ridden by the knight.)

Synonyms

• Straddle: to sit or stand with legs on either side of something.
• Span: to extend across or cover the whole of something.
• Mount: to get onto a horse or other animal.

Related Idioms

• Bestride the world like a colossus: from Shakespeare's , meaning to have immense power or influence.
  • The tech giant bestrode the industry like a colossus. (It dominated the market completely.)