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to ask for as a gift, as charity, or as a favor:
to beg alms; to beg forgiveness.
to ask (someone) to give or do something; implore:
He begged me for mercy. Sit down, I beg you.
to take for granted without basis or justification:
a statement that begs the very point we’re disputing.
to fail or refuse to come to grips with; avoid; evade:
a report that consistently begs the whole problem.
to ask alms or charity; live by asking alms.
to ask humbly or earnestly:
begging for help; begging to differ.
(of a dog) to sit up, as trained, in a posture of entreaty.
beg off, to request or obtain release from an obligation, promise, etc.:
He had promised to drive us to the recital but begged off at the last minute.
beg the question, to assume the truth of the very point raised in a question.
go begging, to remain open or available, as a position that is unfilled or an unsold item:
The job went begging for lack of qualified applicants.
bey.
begin.
beginning.
Contemporary Examples

One counselor asked her to get on her knees during a therapy session, Robison said, and “beg his pardon for whatever I had done.”
Wisconsin Spa Shooting Brings Back Painful Memories for the Moms of Mass Killers Winston Ross October 24, 2012

Well has it been said by one that Negroes too often buy what they want and beg for what they need.
Does Obama Embody the Best of MLK? Thaddeus Russell October 14, 2010

As Timm put it: “We shouldn’t have to beg for companies to respect our privacy.”
Congress Braces for Battle Over Cybersecurity Bill Philip Bump April 22, 2012

As word spread about what Robinson was doing at Grambling, young players wrote him to beg for a chance.
Eddie Robinson, College Football’s Winningest Coach Samuel G. Freedman August 22, 2013

Some people tried to beg the authorities not to leave: “The Muslim Brotherhood is coming, please protect us!”
Muslim Brotherhood, Activists Face Off On Egypt’s Streets Mike Giglio December 6, 2012

Historical Examples

We may have to ride for our lives; so I managed to beg a feed of mealies apiece for them.
The Kopje Garrison George Manville Fenn

For myself I beg your tolerance, your countenance and your united aid.
United States Presidents’ Inaugural Speeches Various

In the event of his doing so, I should beg him to come direct to our house.
Letters of John Calvin, Volume I (of 4) Jules Bonnet

“I beg your pardon—I meant to the professionals,” interrupted Hester.
Weighed and Wanting George MacDonald

Otherwise we would not have been obliged to put in here and beg you for food and lodging.
When the Cock Crows Waldron Baily

verb begs, begging, begged
when intr, often foll by for. to solicit (for money, food, etc), esp in the street
to ask (someone) for (something or leave to do something) formally, humbly, or earnestly: I beg forgiveness, I beg to differ
(intransitive) (of a dog) to sit up with forepaws raised expectantly
to leave unanswered or unresolved: to beg a point
beg the question

to evade the issue
to assume the thing under examination as proved
to suggest that a question needs to be asked: the firm’s success begs the question: why aren’t more companies doing the same?

go begging, go a-begging, to be unwanted or unused
noun
a variant of bey
v.

c.1200, perhaps from Old English bedecian “to beg,” from Proto-Germanic *beth-; or possibly from Anglo-French begger, from Old French begart (see beggar). The Old English word for “beg” was wædlian, from wædl “poverty.” Of trained dogs, 1816.

As a courteous mode of asking (beg pardon, etc.), first attested c.1600. To beg the question translates Latin petitio principii, and means “to assume something that hasn’t been proven as a basis of one’s argument,” thus “asking” one’s opponent to give something unearned, though more of the nature of taking it for granted without warrant.

Back End Generator
big evil grin
begin
beginning

That the poor existed among the Hebrews we have abundant evidence (Ex. 23:11; Deut. 15:11), but there is no mention of beggars properly so called in the Old Testament. The poor were provided for by the law of Moses (Lev. 19:10; Deut. 12:12; 14:29). It is predicted of the seed of the wicked that they shall be beggars (Ps. 37:25; 109:10). In the New Testament we find not seldom mention made of beggars (Mark 10:46; Luke 16:20, 21; Acts 3:2), yet there is no mention of such a class as vagrant beggars, so numerous in the East. “Beggarly,” in Gal. 4:9, means worthless.

beg off
beg the question
beg to differ