English Explanatory Dictionary

betoken

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To signify by some visible object; show by signs or tokens.
  2. To foreshow by present signs; indicate something future by that which is seen or known.

Pronunciation

/bɪˈtoʊ.kən/ En-uk-betoken.ogg En-us-betoken.ogg

Word forms

betoken betokens betokening betokened

Etymology

From Middle English bitoknen, bitacnen, from Old English betācnian (“to betoken, signify, designate”), from Proto-West Germanic *bitaiknijan. 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”).

Synonyms

indicate mark note portend presage forebode

Related words

more betoken

Derived words

betokener unbetokened
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