behave

verb

1. (reflexive)To conduct (oneself) well, or in a given way; to conform.

   “You need to behave yourself, young lady.”

   “And the manifest signs that came from heaven unto those that behaved themselves manfully to their honour for Judaism[…]”

2. (intransitive)To act, conduct oneself in a specific manner; used with an adverbial of manner.

   “He behaves like a child whenever she's around.”

   “How did the students behave while I was gone?”

   “My laptop has been behaving erratically ever since you borrowed it.”

   “Manganism has been known about since the 19th century, when miners exposed to ores containing manganese, a silvery metal, began to totter, slur their speech and behave like someone inebriated.”

3. (obsolete, transitive)To conduct, manage, regulate (something).

   “He did behave his anger ere 'twas spent.”

   “But who his limbs with labours, and his mind / Behaues with cares, cannot so easie mis.”

4. (intransitive)To act in a polite or proper way.

   “His mother threatened to spank him if he didn't behave.”

   “One time when Willie was more set on clowning than on learning about Jesus, Miss Helen ordered, "Willie Mack, you stand up against the wall until you learn to behave."”