beckon

[ bek-uhn ]

/ ˈbɛk ən /

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verb (used with or without object)

to signal, summon, or direct by a gesture of the head or hand.

to lure; entice.

noun

a nod, gesture, etc., that signals, directs, summons, indicates agreement, or the like.

Nearby words

Origin of beckon

before 950; Middle English beknen, Old English gebē(a)cnian, derivative of bēacen beacon

SYNONYMS FOR beckon

1. motion, wave, gesture, bid, nod. 2. invite, attract, draw, coax, tempt, tantalize, allure, beguile.

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Related formsbeck·on·er, nounbeck·on·ing·ly, adverbun·beck·oned, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for beckon

The firemen confer with the organizers and then beckon them toward the front of the bus.
On the Road With Kesey's (Drug-Free) Acid Test|Nina Strochlic|August 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When anarchy seems to beckon, Libya pulls back from the brink.
One Year Later, Libya’s Long Road Continues|Jamie Dettmer|October 22, 2012|DAILY BEAST
She lifted one beautifully rounded alabaster arm, and made a sign as if to beckon him towards her.
Burlesques|William Makepeace Thackeray
Like the Mexicans they beckon with their hands by making downward movements with their fingers.
Unknown Mexico, Volume 1 (of 2)|Carl Lumholtz

Mars, a dull rusty point of light low on the horizon, seemed to beckon.
The Hills of Home|Alfred Coppel
Did he think then that he had but to beckon and she would come—and at this late day, she asked herself.
Miss Billy|Eleanor H. Porter
Holding up his hand to beckon Lucy to stop, he sat eyeing them intently.
Mr. Sponge's Sporting Tour|R. S. Surtees

British Dictionary definitions for beckon

beckon

/ (ˈbɛkən) /

verb

to summon with a gesture of the hand or head

to entice or lure

noun

a summoning gesture

Derived Formsbeckoner, nounbeckoning, adjective, noun

Word Origin for beckon

Old English bīecnan, from bēacen sign; related to Old Saxon bōknian; see beacon

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

Word Origin and History for beckon

beckon

Old English gebecnian (West Saxon beacnian) "to make a mute sign," derivative of beacen "a sign, beacon," from Proto-Germanic *bauknjan (cf. Old Saxon boknian, Old High German bouhnen), from PIE root *bha- "to shine" (see beacon). Related: Beckoned; beckoning. The noun is attested from 1718, from the verb.