beside

 
Pronunciation: /bɪˈsʌɪd/

preposition

  • 1at the side of; next to: he sat beside me in the front seat the table beside the bed
  • compared with: beside Paula she always felt clumsy
  • 2in addition to; apart from: he commissioned work from other artists beside Minton

Phrases

beside oneself

overcome with worry, grief, or anger; distraught: she was beside herself with rage

beside the point

see point.

Origin:

Old English be sīdan (adverb) 'by the side' (see by, side)

Some people say that beside should not be used to mean ‘apart from’ and that besides should be used instead ( he commissioned work from other artists besides Minton rather than he commissioned work from other artists beside Minton). Although there is little logical basis for such a view, and in standard English both beside and besides are used for this sense, it is worth being aware of the potential ambiguity in the use of beside: beside the cold meat, there are platters of trout and salmon means either ‘the cold meat is next to the trout and salmon’ or ‘apart from the cold meat, there are also trout and salmon’.