beacon

[ bee-kuhn ]
See synonyms for beacon on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a guiding or warning signal, as a light or fire, especially one in an elevated position.

  2. a tower or hill used for such purposes.

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

  2. Navigation.

    • a radar device at a fixed location that, upon receiving a radar pulse, transmits a reply pulse that enables the original sender to determine their position relative to the fixed location.

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

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

  5. Digital Technology.

    • a low-energy radio transmitter at a specific location within a store, museum, office space, etc., which identifies nearby mobile devices in order to send them location-specific messages or collect location-specific data:There must be a beacon in the luggage aisle because I just got a coupon for this suitcase on my phone.

verb (used with object)
  1. to serve as a beacon to; warn or guide.

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

verb (used without object)
  1. to serve or shine as a beacon: A steady light beaconed from the shore.

Origin of beacon

1
First recorded before 950; Middle English beken, Old English bēacen “sign, signal”; cognate with Old Frisian bāken, Old Saxon bōkan, Old High German bouhhan

Other words for beacon

Other words from beacon

  • bea·con·less, adjective
  • un·bea·coned, adjective

Words Nearby beacon

Other definitions for Beacon (2 of 2)

Beacon
[ bee-kuhn ]

noun
  1. a city in SE New York.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use beacon in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for beacon

beacon

/ (ˈbiːkən) /


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

  2. a hill on which such fires were lit

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

  2. short for radio beacon

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

  4. short for Belisha beacon

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

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

verb
  1. to guide or warn

  2. (intr) to shine

Origin of beacon

1
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