beck

1 of 3

verb

ˈbek 

becked; becking; becks

transitive verb

archaic

: beckon

beck

2 of 3

noun (1)

1

chiefly Scotland : bow, curtsy

2

a

: a beckoning gesture

b

: summons, bidding

beck

3 of 3

noun (2)

British

: creek sense 1

Phrases

at one's beck and call

: ready to obey one's command immediately

Synonyms

Noun (2)

• bourn
• bourne
• brook
• brooklet
• burn [British]
• creek
• gill [British]
• rill
• rivulet
• run [chiefly Midland]
• runlet
• runnel
• streamlet

Examples of beck in a Sentence

Noun (2)

when we were lads, we raced our toy boats in the narrow beck that bordered the lane

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Instead, Combs insisted on paying her an allowance to keep her at his beck and call, her lawsuit claims. —Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 28 Jan. 2025

Maurice is the prince of our household and has us at his beck and call. —Joan Morris, The Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2025

But Optimus, who in the video seems more than happy to be at his mistress’s beck and call, appears less subservient in a series of pictures in which Kardashian, wearing spike heels and lingerie, poses beside him and a gold Tesla Cybercab. —Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2024

With Matangi and Tamatoa still at Nalo's beck and call, both primary antagonists appear ready to return to the screen, should Moana set sail again down the road. —Tommy McArdle, People.com, 27 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English bekken, shortened from bekenen "to give a mute signal," with the n perhaps being taken as the infinitive ending — more at beckon

Noun (1)

Middle English becke, bekke "mute signal, signal of command, bow," noun derivative of bekken "to give a mute signal" — more at beck entry 1

Noun (2)

Middle English bek, from Old Norse bekkr; akin to Old English bæc brook, Old High German bah, Lithuanian bėgti to flee — more at phobia

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing beck

• at one's beck and call
• at someone's beck and call

Kids Definition

beck

noun

ˈbek

: a beckoning gesture