English

Alternative forms

• beeld

Noun

bield ‎(usually uncountable, plural bields)

1. (obsolete or dialectal) Boldness, courage; confidence; a feeling of security, assurance.
2. (obsolete or dialectal) Resource, help, relief; a means of help or relief; support; sustenance.
3. (obsolete or dialectal) Shelter, refuge or protection.
   • 1600, Edward Fairfax, The Jerusalem Delivered of Tasso, Book XVI, xlix:

     This breast, this bosom soft, shall be thy bield / 'Gainst storms of arrows, darts, and weapons thrown.

4. (obsolete or dialectal) A place of shelter, a refuge.

Derived terms

• bieldy

Related terms

• bold

Etymology 2

From Middle English beelden, belden, from Old English byldan, bieldan ‎(“to encourage, embolden”), from Proto-Germanic *balþijaną ‎(“to make bold”), from Proto-Indo-European *bhel- ‎(“to inflate, swell”). Cognate with Old Saxon beldjan ‎(“to encourage”), Old High German baldēn ‎(“to make bold”) (Middle High German belden), Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌻𐌸𐌾𐌰𐌽 ‎(balþjan, “to make bold”).

Verb

bield ‎(third-person singular simple present bields, present participle bielding, simple past and past participle bielded)

1. (transitive, obsolete or dialectal) To make bold, give courage or confidence to.
2. (transitive, obsolete or dialectal) To defend, protect or shelter.

Synonyms

• encourage