betoken

American  

[bih-toh-kuhn] / bɪˈtoʊ kən /

verb (used with object)

1. to give evidence of; indicate.

   to betoken one's fidelity with a vow; a kiss that betokens one's affection.

2. to be or give a token or sign of; portend.

   a thunderclap that betokens foul weather; an angry word that betokens hostility.

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betoken British  

/ bɪˈtəʊkən /

verb

1. to indicate; signify

   black clothes betoken mourning

2. to portend; augur

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Etymology

Origin of betoken

First recorded in 1125–75, betoken is from the Middle English word bitocnen, bitacnen. See be-, token

Example Sentences

M Hollande, however, wonders if it doesn’t betoken a certain chilliness.

From The Guardian

The circular patterning also betokens a geometry repeated around official Washington: the Oval Office, the Rotunda, the dome of the Jefferson Memorial.

From Washington Post

Banks employ armies of people in back offices, looking for discrepancies that may betoken fraud or honest error.

From Economist

The falling rates of the past few decades distress some economists, who worry they betoken weak growth and complicate central bankers’ ability to manage the economy.

From Economist

Cityscapes materialize on backdrops in ways that betoken both the dreamlike landscapes of Monet as well as the Tinseltown innovation of film colorization.

From Washington Post