- to summon with a gesture of the hand or head
- to entice or lure
- a summoning gesture
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
beck•on /ˈbɛkən/USA pronunciation
v. [~ (+ to) + object]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to signal, summon, or direct (someone) to come near, as by waving the hand or moving a finger:He beckoned (to) me and I went into his office.
- to call to;
attract;
lure;
entice:Fame and fortune beckoned (to) him.
beck•on
(bek′ən),USA pronunciation v.t., v.i.
n.
beck′on•er, n.
beck′on•ing•ly, adv.
- to signal, summon, or direct by a gesture of the head or hand.
- to lure;
entice.
n.
- a nod, gesture, etc., that signals, directs, summons, indicates agreement, or the like.
- Middle English beknen, Old English gebē(a)cnian, derivative of bēacen beacon bef. 950
beck′on•ing•ly, adv.
- 1. motion, wave, gesture, bid, nod. 2. invite, attract, draw, coax, tempt, tantalize, allure, beguile.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
beckon /ˈbɛkən/ vb
'beckon' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):