These two verbs are related by the root -sect, which means “cut” or “divide” (as in separate) and also appears in English words such as sectarian (divisive) and sectional (divisible).Bisect, predictably, means “divide in two, through the middle”: A line that bisects something, should divide it into two equal halves. The two halves should be […]

Beside and Besides are different parts-of-speech, with several different meanings. The quickest way to get their meanings is to look at some examples.  Beside (used as a preposition):Please stand beside me so I will know you are there. (Beside means next to)This movie ranks beside the best thrillers ever made. (Beside means equal to)Your offer […]

Bell refers to an object shaped like an upside-down cup, that makes a musical sound and is often found in church towers—or an electronic device, such as a doorbell, which makes a similar ringing sound: I rang her doorbell just as the church bells began to ring and for a second I thought she had a […]

Behest means a formal request, order, or command.  Request means to ask for something. As you can see, these two words are almost synonymous. Both mean “asking for something (i.e., some object or action)”— except that behest is only a noun, and has somewhat formal connotations. Whereas request is both a noun and a verb: We do […]

These two words are completely different. Bazaar refers to an open-air marketplace with many different vendors, especially in the Middle-East or North Africa—although not necessarily. The word may sometimes be used nowadays for a single store or part of a store that sells many different kinds of things: We walked around the bazaar for hours, […]