betoken

Meaning

Verb

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

Related

Similar words

• indicate, mark, note
• portend, presage, forebode

Origin

• 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").