Be-guīne', n.

noun

(bā-gēen'), n. [Fr. béguine, Pr. beguina, bechina, It. beghina, D. begin, begijn, Ger. begine, L. Lat. beguina, beginna; from L. Lat. and Romance baga, Eng. bag, and the suffix -inus, -ina. See BEGHARD.] One of an order of females in Flanders, who, without having taken monastic vows, are united for the purposes of devotion and charity, and live together in houses called beguinages.