the.com/beaten
Beaten paths and beaten eggs share a verb but not a vibe.
means Defeated, exhausted, or worn down — or, said of a path or material, made smooth and shaped by repeated striking or treading.
from The past participle of "beat," from Old English "bēatan," to strike or pound — a word with deep Germanic roots, kin to Old Norse "bauta." The same blow lives in both senses: a "beaten" road is one literally pounded flat by countless feet, while a "beaten" person has been figuratively struck down. The whisked-egg sense is the most literal of all — you really are hitting them.
- two meanings
- Defeated, or whisked into submission
- old root
- From Old English beatan, to strike
- beaten gold
- Hammered into leaf thinner than paper
- the path
- Worn smooth by countless reluctant feet
- boxing fate
- Down for the count, never the fight
for instance
beaten path — common hiking trail worn by repeated foot traffic over years
beaten egg whites — whipped eggs used in meringues and soufflés since 18th century cooking