"betoken" meaning in English

See betoken in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

IPA: /bɪˈtoʊ.kən/ Audio: En-uk-betoken.ogg [UK], En-us-betoken.ogg [US] Forms: betokens [present, singular, third-person], betokening [participle, present], betokened [participle, past], betokened [past]
Rhymes: -əʊkən Etymology: From Middle English bitoknen, bitacnen, from Old English betācnian (“to betoken, signify, designate”). Equivalent to be- + token. Cognate with Dutch betekenen (“to mean, signify”), German bezeichnen (“to call, designate”), Swedish beteckna (“to represent, designate, indicate”) and Danish betegne (“to represent, designate, indicate”). Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|bitoknen}} Middle English bitoknen, {{m|enm|bitacnen}} bitacnen, {{inh|en|ang|betācnian||to betoken, signify, designate}} Old English betācnian (“to betoken, signify, designate”), {{prefix|en|be|token}} be- + token, {{cog|nl|betekenen||to mean, signify}} Dutch betekenen (“to mean, signify”), {{cog|de|bezeichnen||to call, designate}} German bezeichnen (“to call, designate”), {{cog|sv|beteckna||to represent, designate, indicate}} Swedish beteckna (“to represent, designate, indicate”), {{cog|da|betegne||to represent, designate, indicate}} Danish betegne (“to represent, designate, indicate”) Head templates: {{en-verb}} betoken (third-person singular simple present betokens, present participle betokening, simple past and past participle betokened)
  1. (transitive) To signify by some visible object; show by signs or tokens. Tags: transitive Synonyms (signify): indicate, mark, note Translations (show by signs or tokens): знача (znača) (Bulgarian), означавам (označavam) (Bulgarian), naznačiti (Serbo-Croatian)
    Sense id: en-betoken-en-verb-1KLPpMOH Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms prefixed with be- Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 76 24 Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with be-: 53 47 Disambiguation of 'signify': 85 15 Disambiguation of 'show by signs or tokens': 91 9
  2. (transitive) To foreshow by present signs; indicate something future by that which is seen or known. Tags: transitive Synonyms (foreshow): portend, presage, forebode Translations (indicate something future by that which is seen or known.): вещая (veštaja) (Bulgarian), предсказвам (predskazvam) (Bulgarian), nagovjestiti (Serbo-Croatian), nagovestiti (Serbo-Croatian)
    Sense id: en-betoken-en-verb-8NouS8~f Categories (other): English terms prefixed with be- Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with be-: 53 47 Disambiguation of 'foreshow': 10 90 Disambiguation of 'indicate something future by that which is seen or known.': 3 97

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for betoken meaning in English (7.0kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "bitoknen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English bitoknen",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "bitacnen"
      },
      "expansion": "bitacnen",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "betācnian",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to betoken, signify, designate"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English betācnian (“to betoken, signify, designate”)",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "be",
        "3": "token"
      },
      "expansion": "be- + token",
      "name": "prefix"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "betekenen",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to mean, signify"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch betekenen (“to mean, signify”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "bezeichnen",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to call, designate"
      },
      "expansion": "German bezeichnen (“to call, designate”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "beteckna",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to represent, designate, indicate"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish beteckna (“to represent, designate, indicate”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "betegne",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to represent, designate, indicate"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish betegne (“to represent, designate, indicate”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English bitoknen, bitacnen, from Old English betācnian (“to betoken, signify, designate”). Equivalent to be- + token. Cognate with Dutch betekenen (“to mean, signify”), German bezeichnen (“to call, designate”), Swedish beteckna (“to represent, designate, indicate”) and Danish betegne (“to represent, designate, indicate”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "betokens",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "betokening",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "betokened",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "betokened",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "betoken (third-person singular simple present betokens, present participle betokening, simple past and past participle betokened)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "76 24",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "53 47",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with be-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1557: Robert Recorde, The whetstone of witte, whiche is the seconde parte of Arithmetike : containyng the xtraction of Rootes : The Cossike practise, with the rule of Equation : and the workes of Surde Nombers.^ʀ, page unknown (Ihon Kyngstone)",
          "text": "There be other 2 signes in often use of which the first is made thus + and betokeneth more : the other is thus made – and betokeneth lesse."
        },
        {
          "ref": "1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 87",
          "text": "During the fight, we ran forward a few paces, but a heavy, rushing flight betokened an easy victory, and the stranger flew away.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1964 July, “News and Comment: The Broad Street-Richmond line”, in Modern Railways, page 17",
          "text": "The new propaganda for the route, modest though it is in content and extent so far, does seem to betoken a BR effort to improve its carryings and save the service from extinction.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To signify by some visible object; show by signs or tokens."
      ],
      "id": "en-betoken-en-verb-1KLPpMOH",
      "links": [
        [
          "signify",
          "signify"
        ],
        [
          "object",
          "object"
        ],
        [
          "sign",
          "sign"
        ],
        [
          "token",
          "token"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To signify by some visible object; show by signs or tokens."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "85 15",
          "sense": "signify",
          "word": "indicate"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "85 15",
          "sense": "signify",
          "word": "mark"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "85 15",
          "sense": "signify",
          "word": "note"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "91 9",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "znača",
          "sense": "show by signs or tokens",
          "word": "знача"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 9",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "označavam",
          "sense": "show by signs or tokens",
          "word": "означавам"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 9",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "show by signs or tokens",
          "word": "naznačiti"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "53 47",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with be-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1853: Virgil, Charles Anthon, LL.D. [tr.], Æneïd of Virgil: With English Notes, Critical and Explanatory, a Metrical Clavis: And an Historical, Geographical, and Mythological Index, page 474 (Harper & Brothers, 329 & 331 Pearl Street, Franklin Square, New York)",
          "text": "“ Ah ! hospitable land, thou (nevertheless) betokenest war,” i. e., although hospitable, thou nevertheless betokenest war. — Bello."
        },
        {
          "ref": "1963 July, “News and Comment: Second thoughts on Liner trains?”, in Modern Railways, page 5",
          "text": "Since the Report was published there has been a rather unnatural absence of follow-up propaganda for the Liner trains, which seems to betoken a disinclination to embark on the heavy expenditure involved until a long-term patronage of the projected services has been assured.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To foreshow by present signs; indicate something future by that which is seen or known."
      ],
      "id": "en-betoken-en-verb-8NouS8~f",
      "links": [
        [
          "foreshow",
          "foreshow"
        ],
        [
          "indicate",
          "indicate"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To foreshow by present signs; indicate something future by that which is seen or known."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "10 90",
          "sense": "foreshow",
          "word": "portend"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 90",
          "sense": "foreshow",
          "word": "presage"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 90",
          "sense": "foreshow",
          "word": "forebode"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "3 97",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "veštaja",
          "sense": "indicate something future by that which is seen or known.",
          "word": "вещая"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 97",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "predskazvam",
          "sense": "indicate something future by that which is seen or known.",
          "word": "предсказвам"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 97",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "indicate something future by that which is seen or known.",
          "word": "nagovjestiti"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 97",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "indicate something future by that which is seen or known.",
          "word": "nagovestiti"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/bɪˈtoʊ.kən/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-əʊkən"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-uk-betoken.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/19/En-uk-betoken.ogg/En-uk-betoken.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/En-uk-betoken.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (UK)"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-us-betoken.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/89/En-us-betoken.ogg/En-us-betoken.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/En-us-betoken.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "betoken"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English 3-syllable words",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms derived from Old English",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms inherited from Old English",
    "English terms prefixed with be-",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English verbs",
    "Rhymes:English/əʊkən",
    "Rhymes:English/əʊkən/3 syllables"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "bitoknen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English bitoknen",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "bitacnen"
      },
      "expansion": "bitacnen",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "betācnian",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to betoken, signify, designate"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English betācnian (“to betoken, signify, designate”)",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "be",
        "3": "token"
      },
      "expansion": "be- + token",
      "name": "prefix"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "betekenen",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to mean, signify"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch betekenen (“to mean, signify”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "bezeichnen",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to call, designate"
      },
      "expansion": "German bezeichnen (“to call, designate”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "beteckna",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to represent, designate, indicate"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish beteckna (“to represent, designate, indicate”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "betegne",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to represent, designate, indicate"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish betegne (“to represent, designate, indicate”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English bitoknen, bitacnen, from Old English betācnian (“to betoken, signify, designate”). Equivalent to be- + token. Cognate with Dutch betekenen (“to mean, signify”), German bezeichnen (“to call, designate”), Swedish beteckna (“to represent, designate, indicate”) and Danish betegne (“to represent, designate, indicate”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "betokens",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "betokening",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "betokened",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "betokened",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "betoken (third-person singular simple present betokens, present participle betokening, simple past and past participle betokened)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1557: Robert Recorde, The whetstone of witte, whiche is the seconde parte of Arithmetike : containyng the xtraction of Rootes : The Cossike practise, with the rule of Equation : and the workes of Surde Nombers.^ʀ, page unknown (Ihon Kyngstone)",
          "text": "There be other 2 signes in often use of which the first is made thus + and betokeneth more : the other is thus made – and betokeneth lesse."
        },
        {
          "ref": "1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 87",
          "text": "During the fight, we ran forward a few paces, but a heavy, rushing flight betokened an easy victory, and the stranger flew away.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1964 July, “News and Comment: The Broad Street-Richmond line”, in Modern Railways, page 17",
          "text": "The new propaganda for the route, modest though it is in content and extent so far, does seem to betoken a BR effort to improve its carryings and save the service from extinction.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To signify by some visible object; show by signs or tokens."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "signify",
          "signify"
        ],
        [
          "object",
          "object"
        ],
        [
          "sign",
          "sign"
        ],
        [
          "token",
          "token"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To signify by some visible object; show by signs or tokens."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1853: Virgil, Charles Anthon, LL.D. [tr.], Æneïd of Virgil: With English Notes, Critical and Explanatory, a Metrical Clavis: And an Historical, Geographical, and Mythological Index, page 474 (Harper & Brothers, 329 & 331 Pearl Street, Franklin Square, New York)",
          "text": "“ Ah ! hospitable land, thou (nevertheless) betokenest war,” i. e., although hospitable, thou nevertheless betokenest war. — Bello."
        },
        {
          "ref": "1963 July, “News and Comment: Second thoughts on Liner trains?”, in Modern Railways, page 5",
          "text": "Since the Report was published there has been a rather unnatural absence of follow-up propaganda for the Liner trains, which seems to betoken a disinclination to embark on the heavy expenditure involved until a long-term patronage of the projected services has been assured.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To foreshow by present signs; indicate something future by that which is seen or known."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "foreshow",
          "foreshow"
        ],
        [
          "indicate",
          "indicate"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To foreshow by present signs; indicate something future by that which is seen or known."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/bɪˈtoʊ.kən/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-əʊkən"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-uk-betoken.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/19/En-uk-betoken.ogg/En-uk-betoken.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/En-uk-betoken.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (UK)"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-us-betoken.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/89/En-us-betoken.ogg/En-us-betoken.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/En-us-betoken.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "signify",
      "word": "indicate"
    },
    {
      "sense": "signify",
      "word": "mark"
    },
    {
      "sense": "signify",
      "word": "note"
    },
    {
      "sense": "foreshow",
      "word": "portend"
    },
    {
      "sense": "foreshow",
      "word": "presage"
    },
    {
      "sense": "foreshow",
      "word": "forebode"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "znača",
      "sense": "show by signs or tokens",
      "word": "знача"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "označavam",
      "sense": "show by signs or tokens",
      "word": "означавам"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "show by signs or tokens",
      "word": "naznačiti"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "veštaja",
      "sense": "indicate something future by that which is seen or known.",
      "word": "вещая"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "predskazvam",
      "sense": "indicate something future by that which is seen or known.",
      "word": "предсказвам"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "indicate something future by that which is seen or known.",
      "word": "nagovjestiti"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "indicate something future by that which is seen or known.",
      "word": "nagovestiti"
    }
  ],
  "word": "betoken"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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