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  • beck
    beck
    noun
    a gesture used to signal, summon, or direct someone.
  • Beck
    Beck
    noun
    Dave, 1894–1993, U.S. labor leader: president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters 1952–57.
Synonyms

beck

1 American  
[bek] / bɛk /

noun

  1. a gesture used to signal, summon, or direct someone.

  2. Chiefly Scot. a bow or curtsy of greeting.

verb (used with or without object)

  1. Archaic. beckon.

idioms

  1. at someone's beck and call, ready to do someone's bidding; subject to someone's slightest wish.

    He has three servants at his beck and call.
beck 2 American  
[bek] / bɛk /

noun

North England.

  1. a brook, especially a swiftly running stream with steep banks.

beck 3 American  
[bek] / bɛk /

verb (used with object)

Metalworking.

  1. to form (a billet or the like) into a tire or hoop by rolling or hammering on a mandrel or anvil.

Beck 4 American  
[bek] / bɛk /

noun

  1. Dave, 1894–1993, U.S. labor leader: president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters 1952–57.

beck 1 British  
/ bɛk /

noun

  1. a nod, wave, or other gesture or signal

  2. ready to obey someone's orders instantly; subject to someone's slightest whim

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
beck 2 British  
/ bɛk /

noun

  1. (in N England) a stream, esp a swiftly flowing one

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
beck More Idioms  

  1. see at someone's beck and call.

Etymology

Origin of beck1

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English verb bekken, bec, variant of beckenen, bek(e)nen beckon; noun derivative of the verb

Origin of beck2

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English bek, bec(k), from Scandinavian; compare Old Norse bekkr; akin to Old English bæc, bec, bece, Dutch beek, German Bach “brook”

Origin of beck3

First recorded in 1830–35 as beck-iron; verb use of the noun beck, shortening of beck-iron, a variant of bick-iron

Vocabulary lists containing beck

"The Tragedy of Hamlet," Vocabulary from Act 3

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Times attempted to reach the Beck family but did not hear back before publication.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026

Abi Beck, from RenewableUK Cymru which represents the renewables industry, said Wales "actually hasn't built an onshore wind farm for six years".

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

Mr. Beck is author of “Constitutional Separation of Powers: Cases & Commentary.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Before the 2026 College Football Playoff national championship, a reporter asked University of Miami quarterback Carson Beck, a transfer from Georgia, whether he had to worry about class that week.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

It is not uncommon for doctors to be chronic overachievers; Beck wasn’t the first physician to go overboard with a new hobby.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.