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Beckon

noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A sign made without words; a beck.

    "At the first beckon."

  2. 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.
Verb
  1. 1
    To wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer. ambitransitive

    "His distant friends, he beckons near."

  2. 2
    signal with the hands or nod wordnet
  3. 3
    To seem attractive and inviting. ambitransitive

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

  4. 4
    summon with a wave, nod, or some other gesture wordnet
  5. 5
    appear inviting wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

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.

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