different between herald vs betoken

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?h???ld/

Etymology 1

From Middle English herald, herauld, heraud, from Anglo-Norman heraud, from Old French heraut, hiraut (modern French héraut), from Frankish *heriwald, from Proto-Germanic *harjawaldaz, a compound consisting of Proto-Indo-European *ker- (“army”) + *h?welh?- (“to be strong”). Compare Walter, which has these elements reversed.

Noun

herald (plural heralds)

1. A messenger, especially one bringing important news.

   The herald blew his trumpet and shouted that the King was dead.

2. A harbinger, giving signs of things to come.

   Daffodils are heralds of Spring.

3. (heraldry) An official whose speciality is heraldry, especially one between the ranks of pursuivant and king-of-arms.

   Rouge Dragon is a herald at the College of Arms.

4. (entomology) A moth of the species Scoliopteryx libatrix.

Synonyms

• (messenger): messenger
• (harbinger): harbinger
• (official whose speciality is heraldry): pursuivant

Related terms

• heraldic
• heraldry

Translations

Verb

herald (third-person singular simple present heralds, present participle heralding, simple past and past participle heralded)

1. (transitive) To proclaim or announce an event.
2. (transitive, usually passive) To greet something with excitement; to hail.

Synonyms

• (announce): disclose, make known; See also Thesaurus:announce

Translations

Etymology 2

Noun

herald (plural heralds)

1. Alternative form of hareld (“long-tailed duck”)

Anagrams

• -hedral, Erdahl, Hadler, hardel, hareld, harled

English

Etymology

From Middle English bitoknen, bitacnen, from Old English bet?cnian (“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”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /b??to?.k?n/
• Rhymes: -??k?n

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.
   • 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.^?, page unknown (Ihon Kyngstone)

     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.
2. (transitive) To foreshow by present signs; indicate something future by that which is seen or known.
   • 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)

     “?Ah?!?hospitable land, thou (nevertheless) betokenest war,” i.?e., although hospitable, thou nevertheless betokenest war.?—?Bello.

Synonyms

• (signify): indicate, mark, note
• (foreshow): portend, presage, forebode

Translations

References

• betoken in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.