beckon

English

Etymology

From Middle English bekenen, beknen, becnen, beknien, from Old English bēacnian, bēcnian, bīecnan (“to signal; beckon”), from Proto-West Germanic *bauknōn, *bauknijan (“to signal”), from *baukn (“signal; beacon”). Cognate with Old Saxon bōknian, Old High German bouhnen, Old Norse bákna. More at beacon.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈbɛkən/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛkən

Verb

beckon (third-person singular simple present beckons, present participle beckoning, simple past and past participle beckoned)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer.
   • 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:

     His distant friends, he beckons near.

   • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]:

     It beckons you to go away with it.

2. (transitive, intransitive) To seem attractive and inviting
   • 2016, “Into the Unknown”, in Brandon Michael Armstrong, Joshua Ross Kaufman, Justin Isaac Rubenstein, Patrick Nolen McHale (lyrics), Over the Garden Wall (Original Television Soundtrack)‎^[1], performed by Jack Jones:

     How the gentle wind / Beckons through the leaves / As autumn colors fall

Derived terms

• beckoner
• unbeckoned

 

Translations

to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer

• Arabic: أَشَارَ (ʔašāra), أَوْمَأَ (ar) (ʔawmaʔa)
• Bulgarian: кимвам (kimvam), махвам (bg) (mahvam), повиквам с ръка (povikvam s rǎka)
• Czech: pokynout pf, kývnout pf, pokývnout pf, dát znamení pf
• Dutch: wenken (nl)
• Esperanto: mansigni, algesti
• Finnish: viittoa (fi), viittilöidä
• French: faire signe (fr)
• German: heranwinken, herbeiwinken, winken (de), zuwinken (de)
• Gothic: 𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍅𐌾𐌰𐌽 (bandwjan)
• Greek: γνέφω (el) (gnéfo)

  Ancient: ἀποσημαίνω (aposēmaínō)

• Hungarian: int (hu)
• Irish: bagair
• Italian: accennare (it)
• Maori: tungatunga, tawhi, pōhiri, pōwhiri, tāwhiri, pōwhiriwhiri, pōhirihiri
• Middle English: bekenen
• Persian: اشارت کردن (ešârat kardan)
• Portuguese: acenar (pt)
• Russian: подзыва́ть (ru) (podzyvátʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: smèid
• Spanish: llamar con señas
• Swedish: vinka till sig
• Ukrainian: мани́ти (manýty), кива́ти (kyváty)

seem attractive and inviting

• Czech: lákat (cs) impf, vábit impf, zvát (cs) impf
• Esperanto: logi
• German: einladen (de)
• Portuguese: atrair (pt)
• Spanish: atraer (es), llamar (es)
• Swedish: locka (sv), hägra (sv)

Noun

beckon (plural beckons)

1. A sign made without words; a beck.
   • c. 1734, Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke, A Dissertation on Parties:

     At the first beckon.

   • 2020, Abi Daré, The Girl With The Louding Voice, Sceptre, page 110:

     He turn to me, make a beckon with the key in his hand.

2. A children's game similar to hide and seek in which children who have been "caught" may escape if they see another hider beckon to them.