beacon

[bee-kuhn]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR beacon ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a guiding or warning signal, as a light or fire, especially one in an elevated position.

a tower or hill used for such purposes.

a lighthouse, signal buoy, etc., on a shore or at a dangerous area at sea to warn and guide vessels.

Navigation.

radio beacon.
a radar device at a fixed location that, upon receiving a radar pulse, transmits a reply pulse that enables the original sender to determine his or her position relative to the fixed location.

a person, act, or thing that warns or guides.

a person or thing that illuminates or inspires: The Bible has been our beacon during this trouble.

Digital Technology. web beacon.

verb (used with object)

to serve as a beacon to; warn or guide.

to furnish or mark with beacons: a ship assigned to beacon the shoals.

verb (used without object)

to serve or shine as a beacon: A steady light beaconed from the shore.

Origin of beacon

before 950; Middle English beken, Old English bēacen sign, signal; cognate with Old Frisian bāken, Old Saxon bōkan, Old High German bouhhan

Related formsbea·con·less, adjectiveun·bea·coned, adjective

Synonyms for beacon

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR beacon ON THESAURUS.COM

1. beam, buoy, pharos; signal fire; balefire.

Beacon

[bee-kuh n]

noun

a city in SE New York.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for beacon

John Paul II told the European Union at the time that it was “a beacon of civilization.”
Pope’s Blistering Attack on ‘Haggard’ Europe|Nico Hines|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But simultaneously, as indicated by his support for Beacon, journalism is still incredibly valuable to him.
The 'Mayor of the Internet' Fights the Good Fight|Gideon Resnick|August 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I also think Christine Baranski is a beacon of light and I, too, would like to know what Josh Charles was thinking.
The Best Emmys Moments: Seth Meyers, Bryan Cranston, and a 'Seinfeld' Kiss|Kevin Fallon|August 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Our beloved Lady Liberty has been a beacon of hope for millions of people seeking a better life.
Is it Time to Send Lady Liberty Back to France?|Gene Robinson|July 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But thanks to Josh Fox, who says Beacon International also reached out to Susan Sarandon and Who Killed the Electric Car?
Inside a Hollywood Hit Job: How Sting Artist James O’Keefe Tried to Set His Latest Trap – And Got Stung Himself|Caitlin Dickson|May 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He glanced back over his shoulder to see the beacon of Scarthey straight over the stern.
The Light of Scarthey|Egerton Castle
Each log or upright beam of the beacon was to be fixed to the rock by two strong and massive bats or stanchions of iron.
Records of a Family of Engineers|Robert Louis Stevenson
On the shore, in front of the house, a great bonfire flamed up, a beacon that could be seen far out on the river.
Sir Christopher|Maud Wilder Goodwin
It became at once a codified standard of purer religious life and ultimately served as a beacon of light for the future.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 2|Various
The bell on the Beacon being rung, the artificers were assembled on the bridge, when the affair was explained to them.
An Account of the Bell Rock Light-House|Robert Stevenson

British Dictionary definitions for beacon

beacon

noun

a signal fire or light on a hill, tower, etc, esp one used formerly as a warning of invasion

a hill on which such fires were lit

a lighthouse, signalling buoy, etc, used to warn or guide ships in dangerous waters

short for radio beacon

a radio or other signal marking a flight course in air navigation

short for Belisha beacon

a person or thing that serves as a guide, inspiration, or warning

a stone set by a surveyor to mark a corner or line of a site boundary, etc

verb

to guide or warn

(intr) to shine

Word Origin for beacon

Old English beacen sign; related to Old Frisian bāken, Old Saxon bōcan, Old High German bouhhan

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for beacon

Old English beacen "sign, portent, lighthouse," from West Germanic *baukna "beacon, signal" (cf. Old Frisian baken, Old Saxon bokan, Old High German bouhhan); not found outside Germanic. Perhaps borrowed from Latin bucina "a crooked horn or trumpet, signal horn." But more likely from PIE *bhew-, a variant of the base *bha- "to gleam, shine" (see phantasm). Figurative use from c.1600.

beacon

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

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Origin of beacon

Synonyms for beacon

Beacon

noun

Examples from the Web for beacon

beacon

noun

verb

Word Origin for beacon