beck

¹

[bek]

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.

beck

²

[bek]

noun

North England.

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

beck

³

[bek]

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

[bek]

noun

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

beck

¹

/ 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

beck

²

/ bɛk /

noun

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

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of beck¹

C14: short for becnen to _beckon

Origin of beck²

Old English becc , from Old Norse bekkr ; related to Old English bece , Old Saxon beki , Old High German bah brook, Sanskrit bhanga wave

Idioms and Phrases

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.

see at someone's beck and call.

Example Sentences

Any renewable company that is a subsidiary of a fossil fuel firm made the list, for instance, because they are "at the beck and call" of their parent group, Galey said.

Read more on Barron's

If they want nutrition advice, wellness coaching, or help with complex medical issues, she’s at their beck and call.

Read more on Barron's

Although Trump himself evaded the draft, and he reportedly called American soldiers who were killed in war suckers and losers, he likes the strongman aesthetic of an army that is at his beck and call.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

As a result, voles have now appeared all along the beck, including at Hull Road Park, which lies close to an urban area.

Read more on BBC

“You can control traffic, you can control lighting. All of the equipment is at your beck and call.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• current 
• flood 
• flow 
• rush 
• spate 
• surge 
• tide 
• torrent 
• tributary