beck
gb/bˈɛk/ us/bˈɛk/
C1
Inglés
~ 9700
intés, patak, csermely
SUSTANTIVO
C1
LITERARY
1
intés
B1
Patrón de uso:
at [someone]’s beck and call
The phrase suggests that the servants once had to respond to a master’s every beck and call.
A kifejezés arra utal, hogy a szolgáknak egykor uruk minden intésére és hívására azonnal reagálniuk kellett.
In “beck and call,” the word “beck” refers to a tiny gesture that orders someone to come.
A „beck and call” kifejezésben a „beck” egy apró intésre utal, amellyel odarendelnek valakit.
The old sense of “beck” as a physical signal survives only in the expression “at someone’s beck and call.”
Ejemplos para estudiantes
He treats his staff as if they are always at his beck and call.
Úgy bánik a munkatársaival, mintha mindig az ő intésére és hívására kellene rendelkezésre állniuk.
In this phrase, “beck” means a small movement that calls someone.
Ebben a kifejezésben a „beck” egy olyan kis intést jelent, amellyel odahívnak valakit.
Long ago, a servant might wait for the master’s beck before entering the room.
Error frecuente:
Learners often misunderstand or misspell the set phrase as *“at someone’s beckon call”* or *“at someone’s beck and calll.” The correct fixed form is “at someone’s beck and call,” where “beck” is a separate old noun meaning a small summoning gesture.
Significado
a slight commanding gesture
Colocaciones
beck and call
|at his beck and call
|at her beck and call
|at their beck and call
Sinónimos
gesture (A general word for any movement made to communicate; it does not specifically suggest ordering or summoning, as “beck” does.)
Antónimos
ignore (To pay no attention or give no signal to someone, the opposite of making a summoning gesture.)
Temas
communication
|social
|core_vocabulary
Definición
A small movement of the head or hand that tells a person to come or do something, mostly used in the phrase “at someone’s beck and call.”
A slight movement of the head or hand used to signal that someone should come closer or do something, now almost only used in the fixed phrase “at someone’s beck and call.”
SUSTANTIVO
C2
LITERARY
2
Patrón de uso:
a [adjective] beck runs through [a place]
A narrow beck wound its way down the hillside toward the village.
Egy keskeny patak kanyargott lefelé a domboldalon a falu felé.
We followed the beck through the valley until it joined a wider river.
A patakot követtük a völgyön át, míg bele nem torkollott egy szélesebb folyóba.
The cottage stood beside a cold, clear beck that ran all year round.
Place names in northern England often include “beck” to show there is a small stream nearby.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
A small beck runs past the farm.
A farm mellett egy kis patak folyik.
They sat on a rock and watched the beck.
Leültek egy sziklára, és nézték a patakot.
The children jumped over the narrow beck.
In this part of England, people call a small stream a beck.
Error frecuente:
Learners may think “beck” is a common modern word for any stream in all English varieties. In fact, it is mainly regional (northern England, parts of Scotland) or literary; in most contexts, “stream” or “brook” is the natural choice.
Significado
a small natural stream
Colocaciones
mountain beck
|moorland beck
|fellside beck
|babbling beck
Sinónimos
brook (Very close in meaning; “brook” is standard English, while “beck” is regional and more literary.)
|
stream (More general and more common; can be larger than something usually called a “beck.”)
Antónimos
desert (A dry region with almost no surface water, contrasting with an area where becks or streams are present.)
Temas
nature
|geography
|core_vocabulary
Definición
A small stream of water in nature, used in some parts of the UK instead of “brook” or “stream.”
In northern English and Scottish dialects, a small natural stream of water, similar to a brook.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
beck
AFI
GB/bˈɛk/
US/bˈɛk/
Sílabas y acento
beck (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (beck)
Formas de la palabra
Noun
- Base: beck
- Plural: becks
Familia de palabras
Forms
becks
noun
Core family
beckon
verb
Expresiones
at someone’s beck and call
1/ˈæt sˈʌmwˌʌnz bˈɛk ˈænd kˈɔl/
idiom
always ready to obey someone
To be always ready and available to do what a person wants, often because they have power over you.
Ejemplos
- As a junior assistant, she felt she was at her boss’s beck and call day and night.
- They expected hotel staff to be at their beck and call throughout the holiday.
- I don’t want a partner who thinks I’ll be at his beck and call.