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.
Meanings
A sign made without words; a beck.
He turn to me, make a beckon with the key in his hand. 2020, Abi Daré, The Girl With The Louding Voice, Sceptre, page 110:
At the first beckon. c. 1734, Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke, A Dissertation on Parties:
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.
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.
Meanings
(ambitransitive) To wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer.
It beckons you to go away with it. c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]:
His distant friends, he beckons near. 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
(ambitransitive) To seem attractive and inviting.
How the gentle wind / Beckons through the leaves / As autumn colors fall 2016, “Into the Unknown”, in Brandon Michael Armstrong, Joshua Ross Kaufman, Justin Isaac Rubenstein, Patrick Nolen McHale (lyrics), Over the Garden Wall (Original Television Soundtrack), performed by Jack Jones:
The election come and gone, work beyond political organizing beckoned. 1980 February 16, Lisa Nussbaum, “Even in the Suburbs”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 29, page 10:
eo logi (seem attractive and inviting) · ru подзыва́ть (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · mi pōhirihiri (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · pt acenar (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · uk кива́ти (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · ar أَوْمَأَ (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · sv hägra (seem attractive and inviting) · de heranwinken (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · el γνέφω (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · de zuwinken (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · gd smèid (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · de einladen (seem attractive and inviting) · scn singalijari (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · scn fari aḍḍicari (seem attractive and inviting) · pt atrair (seem attractive and inviting) · fr faire signe (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · bg махвам (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · hu int (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · got 𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍅𐌾𐌰𐌽 (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · es hacer ademanes para que se acerque (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · es deseñar (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · cs lákat (seem attractive and inviting) · uk мани́ти (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · tr el etmek (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · scn nnùciri (seem attractive and inviting) · mi tāwhiri (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · bg повиквам с ръка (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · es llamar con señas (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · cs dát znamení (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · az əlləmək (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · eo algesti (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · grc ἀποσημαίνω (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · sv vinka till sig (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · fi viittoa (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · cs zvát (seem attractive and inviting) · mi tungatunga (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · mi pōwhiri (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · mi pōhiri (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · de winken (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · nl wenken (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · mi hūkari (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · scn fari scamòviri (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · ar أَشَارَ (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · de herbeiwinken (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · mi hūkarikari (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · mi pōwhiriwhiri (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · es hacer gestos para que venga (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · bg кимвам (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · ga bagair (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · mi tawhi (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · fi viittilöidä (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · cs pokývnout (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · cs pokynout (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · az əl eləmək (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · enm bekenen (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · cs vábit (seem attractive and inviting) · sv locka (seem attractive and inviting) · eo mansigni (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · fa اشارت کردن (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · it accennare (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer) · cs kývnout (to wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer)