beacon

[ bee-kuhn ]

/ ˈbi kən /

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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 their 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.
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)

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR beacon

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

See synonyms for beacon on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of beacon

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 FROM beacon

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

Other definitions for beacon (2 of 2)

Beacon

[ bee-kuhn ]

/ ˈbi kən /

noun

a city in SE New York.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use beacon in a sentence

The other becomes a sonar-like beacon to aid navigation by underwater robots and more.
Bye-bye batteries? Power a phone with fabric or a beacon with sound|Kathryn Hulick|January 6, 2021|Science News For Students
Lighthouse now serves as a beacon for warning you when your project includes old and or vulnerable code.
Google’s Lighthouse is now recommending JavaScript library alternates|Detlef Johnson|January 5, 2021|Search Engine Land
Despite those challenges, Marqus, who unexpectedly passed away in June at 36, was a beacon of hope for the sickle cell community.
Science Might Finally Have a Fix for This Rare Blood Disorder|Nick Fouriezos|December 15, 2020|Ozy
Very quickly O’Meara’s 113-word prose poem became a communal beacon of hope, attracting the attention of Oprah and opera and thousands more.
The story behind ‘And the People Stayed Home,’ the little poem that became so much more|Nora Krug|December 10, 2020|Washington Post

From Earth, this beam appears as a radio beacon flickering on and off.
Why Arecibo’s loss is such a big deal for astronomy|Maria Temming|December 9, 2020|Science News For Students
The terrible look had returned to his face with an added fire that beaconed a revengeful intention.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens
A gleam of his ancient wilfulness beaconed a moment in Wat's eye.
Lochinvar|S. R. Crockett
Day after day the sun flamed; night after night the moon beaconed, or the stars paraded their lustrous regiment.
The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 13 (of 25)|Robert Louis Stevenson
People who are yet about gather in little groups, and talk in low tones as they look over the dark, watchfire-beaconed gulf.
History of the Johnstown Flood|Willis Fletcher Johnson
As they crossed, the light grew, and the gas-lamps of Tyre beaconed with fading gleam.
Young Lives|Richard Le Gallienne

British Dictionary definitions for beacon

beacon

/ (ˈbiːkən) /

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

beacon

OTHER WORDS FOR beacon

Origin of beacon

OTHER WORDS FROM beacon

Other definitions for beacon (2 of 2)

Words related to beacon

How to use beacon in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for beacon

Word Origin for beacon