beck

¹

[ bek ]

noun

1. a gesture used to signal, summon, or direct someone.
2. Chiefly Scot. a bow or curtsy of greeting.

verb (used with or without object)

1. Archaic. beckon.

beck

²

[ bek ]

noun

, North England.

1. a brook, especially a swiftly running stream with steep banks.

beck

³

[ bek ]

verb (used with object)

, Metalworking.

1. to form (a billet or the like) into a tire or hoop by rolling or hammering on a mandrel or anvil.

Beck

⁴

[ bek ]

noun

1. Dave, 1894–1993, U.S. labor leader: president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters 1952–57.

beck

¹

/ bɛk /

noun

1. (in N England) a stream, esp a swiftly flowing one

beck

²

/ bɛk /

noun

1. a nod, wave, or other gesture or signal
2. at someone's beck and call
   ready to obey someone's orders instantly; subject to someone's slightest whim

Word History and Origins

Origin of beck¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English verb bekken, bec, variant of beckenen, bek(e)nen beckon; noun derivative of the verb

Origin of beck²

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English bek, bec(k), from Scandinavian; compare Old Norse bekkr; akin to Old English bæc, bec, bece, Dutch beek, German Bach “brook”

Origin of beck³

First recorded in 1830–35 as beck-iron; verb use of the noun beck, shortening of beck-iron, a variant of bick-iron

Word History and Origins

Origin of beck¹

Old English becc , from Old Norse bekkr ; related to Old English bece , Old Saxon beki , Old High German bah brook, Sanskrit bhanga wave

Origin of beck²

C14: short for becnen to beckon

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. at someone's beck and call, ready to do someone's bidding; subject to someone's slightest wish:

   He has three servants at his beck and call.

More idioms and phrases containing beck

see at someone's beck and call .

Example Sentences

As a result, voles have now appeared all along the beck, including at Hull Road Park, which lies close to an urban area.

From BBC

“You can control traffic, you can control lighting. All of the equipment is at your beck and call.”

From Los Angeles Times

Not even the stylist teams at her beck and call have the guts to be brutally honest about her choices.

From Salon

In her book, Mulley describes two occasions when Granville was able to turn a snarling guard dog kept by border patrols into her pet that would follow her beck and call.

From BBC

The agency is using three pumps to help move water away from the beck.

From BBC

Related Words

• current
• flood
• flow
• rush
• spate
• surge
• tide
• torrent
• tributary