Beck vs Deck - What's the difference?

As nouns the difference between beck and deck

is that beck is a stream or small river while deck is any flat surface that can be walked on: a balcony; a porch; a raised patio; a flat rooftop.

As verbs the difference between beck and deck

is that beck is to nod or motion with the head while deck is to furnish with a deck, as a vessel.

beck

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) . Cognate with low German bek or beck

Noun

(en noun)

(Norfolk, Northern English dialect) A stream or small river.

* Drayton

The brooks, the becks , the rills.

Synonyms

* brook * burn * creek * stream

Etymology 2

A shortened form of (beckon), from (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)

A significant nod, or motion of the head or hand, especially as a call or command.

To be at the beck and call of someone.

Verb

(en verb)

(archaic) To nod or motion with the head.

* Shakespeare

When gold and silver becks me to come on.

*{{quote-book, year=1896, author=Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr, title=Winter Evening Tales, chapter=, edition= citation

, passage="I'll buy so many acres of old Scotland and call them by the Lockerby's name; and I'll have nobles and great men come bowing and becking to David Lockerby as they do to Alexander Gordon. }}

*{{quote-book, year=1881, author=Various, title=The Best of the World's Classics, Vol. V (of X) - Great Britain and Ireland III, chapter=, edition= citation

, passage=The becking waiter, that with wreathed smiles, wont to spread for Samuel and Bozzy their "supper of the gods," has long since pocketed his last sixpence; and vanished, sixpence and all, like a ghost at cock-crowing. }}

Etymology 3

See back.

Noun

(en noun)

A vat.

Etymology 4

Noun

(en noun)

(Spenser)

deck

English

Etymology 1

(etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)

Any flat surface that can be walked on: a balcony; a porch; a raised patio; a flat rooftop.

(lb) The floorlike covering of the horizontal sections, or compartments, of a ship. Small vessels have only one deck; larger ships have two or three decks.

*:Carried somehow, somewhither, for some reason, on these surging floods, were these travelers,. Even such a boat as the Mount Vernon offered a total deck space so cramped as to leave secrecy or privacy well out of the question, even had the motley and democratic assemblage of passengers been disposed to accord either.

A pack or set of playing cards.

A set of slides for a presentation.

*2011 , David Kroenke, Donald Nilson, Office 365 in Business

*:Navigate to the location where your PowerPoint deck is stored and select it.

(lb) A heap or store.

*(Philip Massinger) (1583-1640)

*:Whohath such trinkets / Ready in the deck .

Derived terms

* afterdeck * below decks * flight deck * foredeck * forward deck * lower deck * poopdeck * quarterdeck * rear deck * stern deck

Verb

(en verb)

(uncommon) To furnish with a deck, as a vessel.

(slang) In a fight or brawl, to knock someone to the floor, especially with a single punch.

Wow, did you see her deck that guy who pinched her?

Etymology 2

From (etyl) .

Verb

(en verb)

To dress (someone) up, to clothe with more than ordinary elegance

* 1919 ,

They call beautiful a dress, a dog, a sermon; and when they are face to face with Beauty cannot recognise it. The false emphasis with which they try to deck their worthless thoughts blunts their susceptibilities.

* Bible, Job xl. 10

Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency.

* Shakespeare

Deck my body in gay ornaments.

To decorate (something).

* Dryden

The dew with spangles decked the ground.

To cover; to overspread.

* Milton

to deck with clouds the uncoloured sky

Usage notes

* See deck out