, bec; m. n.: bæce, bece; m.: bæc(c); f. A beck, brook. The word, which seems to occur only in lists of boundaries in charters (except in wíl-bec?), appears with varying gender and declension. (1) bæc; m. :-- In baka brycge; of baka brycge, C. D. iii. 386, 15. In ðá bakas; of ðám bakan, 382, 7: 386, 11. (2) bæc, bec; n. :-- On ðæt heówbec; andlang heówbeces, C. D. iii. 135, 16. On ðæt heówbæc; of ðám heówbæce, v. 358, 22. On ðæt bec; ðonne andlang ðæs becæs; of ðǽm bæce . . . tó ðám eástran bæce; ðonne andlang bæces, 207, 16-20. On þ̵ bec; siþþan andlang beces, on Tæmese, Cht. E. 294, 27. (3) bece, bæce; m. :-- In Coddan hrycges bece; andlang beces, C. D. iii. 461, 21. In wynnabæce; of wynnabæce . . . in foxbæce; of foxbæce, 386, 9, 16. Ymbe heáfca bæce; of þan bæce, 121, 16. In earna bæce; andlang bæces . . . æft on earna bæce, v. 121, 4, 11. In beka brycge; of becha brycge (cf. 386, 15 above), iii. 382, 11. On ðá lytlan becas . . .; of grindlesbece, 80, 4. (4) bæc(c); f. :-- On cyrtwara bæc; andlang cyt*-*wara bæcce (cf. in another copy of the same boundaries :-- Of citwara beca . . . on citwara mearce; andlang bæces tó citwara becon, v. 358, 7, 27), C. D. iii. 135, 23. (5) uncertain :-- In wynnabæces gemýðan; of wynnabæce, C. D. iii. 382, 5: v. 297, 31. Andlang burgbeces, vi. 43, 19. Andlang ðæs beces; of ðám bece, iv. 68, 25. Tó ðám bæce; of ðám bæce, vi. 234, 29. Tó gafærbæce (gaferbice, 302, 33), v. 306, 28. In cærsa bæc; of ðám bæce, iii. 380, 2. ¶ in one passage the word occurs apparently as fem. and masc. in the same line :-- On cnollan gæte in ðá (ðám ?) diópan bæce; of ðám diópan bæce, C. D. iii. 460, 26. [O. H. Ger. bah: Icel. bekkr. These forms point to an English bece.]