Words / C2

bi-KWEETH/bɪˈkwiːð/

To bequeath is to leave property in a will, or to pass something on to those who follow: bequeath a house, bequeath a habit. Will (already in the dictionary) is the document; a legacy (already in the dictionary) is what is left. Confer (already in the dictionary) is to grant an honour, not an inheritance. Do not hand last year’s workaround down as the protocol.

Meaning

To leave property to someone in a will; also to pass something on to those who follow.

Examples

• “Do not bequeath last year’s workaround as the protocol.”
• “Leave is everyday. A will is the instrument (already in B1). A legacy is what is passed on (already in C1). Confer is of honours (already in B2). A dated amendment, named in the minutes, is a change. Silence that keeps the bin-as-backup is an inheritance nobody asked for. Write the restore test; then the succession.”

Good to know

Leave in a will; hand down. Everyday: leave. Close noun: legacy (already in C1). Contrast: confer (grant an honour — already in B2). A workaround is not a protocol.

Near in meaning

leave, pass on, hand down, will

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