Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To signal or summon, as by nodding or waving.
  • intransitive verb To attract because of an inviting or enticing appearance.
  • intransitive verb To make a signaling or summoning gesture.
  • intransitive verb To be inviting or enticing.
  • noun A gesture of summons.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To make a significant gesture with the head or hand, intended as a hint or an intimation, especially of a desire for approach or departure, or for silence.
  • To make a significant sign to; summon or direct by making signs.
  • noun A significant gesture: as, “at the first beckon,” Boling-broke, Parties.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To make a significant sign to; hence, to summon, as by a motion of the hand.
  • noun A sign made without words; a beck.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To wave and/or to nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer.
  • noun A sign made without words; a beck.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb signal with the hands or nod
  • verb summon with a wave, nod, or some other gesture
  • verb appear inviting

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English bekenen, from Old English bīecnan, bēcnan; see bhā- in Indo-European roots.]

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word beckon.

Examples

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • to motion or call someone/ the teacher beckoned the student to her desk (Newbury House Dictionary)

    September 25, 2010