• (British) IPA: /ˈbɛkən/

beckon (beckons, present participle beckoning; past and past participle beckoned)

1. (ambitransitive) To wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer.

   • His distant friends, he beckons near.

   • c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act I, scene iv]:

     It beckons you to go away with it.

2. (ambitransitive) To seem attractive and inviting

• French: faire signe
• German: heranwinken, herbeiwinken, winken, zuwinken
• Italian: accennare
• Portuguese: acenar
• Russian: подзыва́ть
• Spanish: llamar con señas

• German: einladen
• Spanish: atraer, llamar

beckon (plural beckons)

1. A sign made without words; a beck.

   • At the first beckon.

2. 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.