beg

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
beg/beɡ/

▶verb (begs, begging, begged)

• 1 ask (someone) earnestly or humbly for something.

  ■ ask for (something) earnestly or humbly: he begged their forgiveness.

  ■ (beg off) withdraw from a promise or undertaking.

• 2 ask for food or money as charity.

• 3 (of a dog) sit up with the front paws raised expectantly in the hope of a reward.

– phrases
beg the question

• 1 (of a fact or action) invite an obvious question or point.

• 2 assume the truth of an argument or proposition to be proved, without arguing it.

beg yours Austral./NZ I beg your pardon.
go begging (of an article or opportunity) be available because unwanted by others.

– origin ME: prob. from OE bedecian, of Gmc origin.

usage: The original meaning of the phrase beg the question is ‘assume the truth of an argument or proposition to be proved’. To some traditionalists this is still the only correct meaning. However, over the last 100 years or so another use has arisen: ‘invite an obvious question’. This is by far the commonest use today and is widely accepted.