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Bide

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

An archaic verb meaning to stay, remain, endure, or wait; its exact sense depends on context, especially in older poetry and ballads.

Detailed Definition
Bide is an old verb meaning to stay in a place, endure a condition, or wait for a person or event. Its compact form is especially valuable in verse, where it can carry patience, loyalty, resignation, or stubborn survival in a single syllable. The word often suits ballads and meditative poems, evoking a traveler at a threshold or a beloved who remains faithful through hardship. Example: “I bide beneath the ash until the bells return.”
Example
Example in poetry:
“Bide here till dawn,” the watchman calls from the gate; The old oak will bide through many winters; She chose to bide her time before answering the challenge; In the poem, the exiled hero must bide in silence beside the sea.
Additional Notes
Bide can mean to remain in a place, endure a condition, or wait patiently. The phrase “bide one’s time” means to wait for a suitable opportunity. In poetry, bide often suggests steadfastness or endurance, while the related word abide can mean to endure, tolerate, or continue to live somewhere.
Also Known As
Abide Remain Endure
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