beckon

  • 1Beckon — Beck on, n. A sign made without words; a beck. At the first beckon. Bolingbroke. [1913 Webster] …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2beckon — [bek′ən] vi., vt. [ME beknen < OE beacnian, becnian; akin to OS boknian, OHG bouhnen < Gmc * bauhnan < * baukna,BEACON] 1. to call or summon by a silent gesture 2. to seem enticing (to); attract; lure [the woods beckon] n. a summoning… …

    English World dictionary

  • 3Beckon — Beck on, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Beckoned} (?); p. pr. & vb. n. {Beckoning}.] To make a significant sign to; hence, to summon, as by a motion of the hand. [1913 Webster] His distant friends, he beckons near. Dryden. [1913 Webster] It beckons you to… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 4beckon — index call (summon), entrap, request, subpoena, summon Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …

    Law dictionary

  • 5beckon — (v.) O.E. gebecnian (W. Saxon beacnian) to make a mute sign, derivative of beacen a sign, beacon, from P.Gmc. *bauknjan (Cf. O.S. boknian, O.H.G. bouhnen), from PIE root *bha to shine (see BEACON (Cf. beacon)). Related: Beckoned; …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 6beckon — [v] call, signal, or lure allure, ask, attract, bid, coax, command, demand, draw, entice, gesticulate, gesture, invite, motion, nod, pull, sign, summon, tempt, wave; concepts 7,22,53,74 …

    New thesaurus

  • 7beckon — ► VERB 1) make a gesture to encourage or instruct someone to approach or follow. 2) seem appealing or inviting: the wide open spaces of Australia beckoned. ORIGIN Old English, related to BEACON(Cf. ↑beacon) …

    English terms dictionary

  • 8beckon — beck|on [ˈbekən] v [: Old English; Origin: biecnan, from beacen; BEACON] 1.) [I and T] to make a signal to someone with your hand, to show that you want them to come towards you or to follow you ▪ I could see my husband beckoning me. beckon (to)… …

    Dictionary of contemporary English

  • 9beckon — [[t]be̱kən[/t]] beckons, beckoning, beckoned 1) VERB If you beckon to someone, you signal to them to come to you. [V to n] He beckoned to the waiter... [V n adv/prep] I beckoned her over... [V n to inf] Hughes beckoned him to sit down on a sofa.… …

    English dictionary

  • 10beckon — UK [ˈbekən] / US verb [intransitive/transitive] Word forms beckon : present tense I/you/we/they beckon he/she/it beckons present participle beckoning past tense beckoned past participle beckoned 1) to signal to someone to come towards you He… …

    English dictionary