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Beck vs Ditch - What's the difference?

beck | ditch |

As nouns the difference between beck and ditch

is that beck is a stream or small river while ditch is alternative form of lang=en.

As verbs the difference between beck and ditch

is that beck is to nod or motion with the head while ditch is alternative form of lang=en.

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)

    ditch

    English

    Etymology 1

    From earlier deche, from (etyl) dechen, from (etyl) .

    Verb

    (es)

    • Noun

    (en-noun)

    • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) dich, from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (es)
  • A trench; a long, shallow indentation, as for irrigation or drainage.
    • Digging ditches has long been considered one of the most demanding forms of manual labor.
    Derived terms
    * ditchdigger * ditch weed * ditcher * ox is in the ditch
    See also
    * fosse * moat

    Verb

  • To discard or abandon.
    • Once the sun came out we ditched our rain-gear and started a campfire.
  • To deliberately crash-land an airplane on the sea.
    • When the second engine failed, the pilot was forced to ditch ; their last location was just south of the Azores.
  • To deliberately not attend classes; to play hookey.
    • The truant officer caught Louise ditching with her friends, and her parents were forced to pay a fine.
  • To dig ditches.
    • Enclosure led to fuller winter employment in hedging and ditching .
  • To dig ditches around.
    • The soldiers ditched the tent to prevent flooding.
  • To throw into a ditch.
    • The engine was ditched and turned on its side.
    Synonyms
    * abandon * discard * dump * jettison * lose * shed * See also