bestride, bestrode, bestridden

• Meaning:
  
1. to straddle, to sit or stand with legs astride
2. to dominate over
   
• In Hong Kong slang: 騎住， 食住， 殺晒
  
• In decent Chinese:
  
1. 騎
2. 傲視
• Where we first met: BBC journalist commentary on the recent situation in France - 'Once the French bestrode the planet like a Colossus, exporting everything from their language to their culture.'