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

see also:

at one's beck and call

beck

3 of 3

noun (2)

British

: creek sense 1

Synonyms of beck

Noun (2)

• brook
• creek

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

At the president’s beck and call is the United States Marine Band, created by an act of Congress in 1798. — Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026

That work on behalf of the government, with emphasis on the Department of Justice, has much lawyering undertaken for political reasons, most notably at the beck and call of the nation’s current president. — Miles J. Zaremski, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2026

And of course, your ride-sharing service of choice is at your beck and call. — Sierra Vandervort, Travel + Leisure, 20 June 2026

Oh, and there's a butler at your beck and call. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026

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

Rhymes for beck

• breck
• check
• cheque
• czech
• deck
• fleck
• keck
• mech
• neck
• peck
• reck
• sec

Kids Definition

beck

noun

ˈbek

: a beckoning gesture