Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A signal fire, especially one used to warn of an enemy's approach.
- noun A signaling or guiding device that emits light, such as a lighthouse.
- noun A radio transmitter that emits a characteristic guidance signal for aircraft.
- noun A signaling device that emits a repeating sound; a pinger.
- noun A source of guidance or inspiration.
- transitive & intransitive verb To provide with or signal as a beacon.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A guiding or warning signal; anything fixed or set up as a token; especially, a signal-fire, either in a cresset and placed on a pole, or lighted on a tower or an eminence.
- noun A tower or hill formerly used for such purposes.
- noun A lighthouse or other object placed conspicuously on a coast, or over a rock or shoal at sea, to give notice of danger, or for the guidance of vessels.
- noun A painted staff about 9 feet long, carrying a small square flag at the top, used in camps to indicate an angle of the quarters assigned to a regiment or company.
- noun In England, formerly, a division of a wapentake; probably a district throughout which a beacon could be seen, or which was bound to furnish one.
- To illumine or light up as a beacon.
- To afford light or aid to; lead; guide as a beacon.
- To furnish or mark with beacons: as, to
beacon a coast or a boundary: sometimes with off. - To use as a beacon; make a beacon of.
- To serve or shine as a beacon.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A signal fire to notify of the approach of an enemy, or to give any notice, commonly of warning.
- noun A signal, such as that from a lighthouse, or a conspicuous mark erected on an eminence near the shore, or moored in shoal water, as a guide to mariners.
- noun Prov. Eng. A high hill near the shore.
- noun That which gives notice of danger.
- noun (Navigation) a radio transmitter which emits a characteristic signal indication its location, so that vehicles may determine their exact location by locating the beacon with a radio compass; -- also called
radio beacon . - noun that which provides guidance or inspiration.
- noun a signal fire.
- transitive verb To give light to, as a beacon; to light up; to illumine.
- transitive verb To furnish with a beacon or beacons.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A
signal fire to notify of theapproach of an enemy, or to give any notice, commonly of warning or guiding. - noun nautical A signal or conspicuous mark erected on an eminence near the shore, or moored in shoal water, as a guide to mariners.
- noun A high hill or other easily distinguishable object near the shore which can serve as guidance for seafarers.
- noun That which gives notice of danger.
- verb To act as a beacon.
- verb To give light to, as a beacon; to
light up ; toillumine . - verb To
furnish with a beacon or beacons.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb shine like a beacon
- noun a fire (usually on a hill or tower) that can be seen from a distance
- verb guide with a beacon
- noun a radio station that broadcasts a directional signal for navigational purposes
- noun a tower with a light that gives warning of shoals to passing ships
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word beacon.
Examples
-
We've got what we call beacon schools, where we take the school buildings that are there anyhow, and now we keep them open until 11: 00 p.m. or 12: 00 p.m. at night, six and seven days a week, with programs for young people and adults, funded by the city but run by not-for-profit community organizations.
Presidents Remarks In Conference Call On Enterprise Zones ITY National Archives 1993
-
This is what we call our beacon of democracy in the region?
Wake Up From Your Slumber - The Truth Will Set You Free 2008
-
This is what we call our beacon of democracy in the region?
Wake Up From Your Slumber - The Truth Will Set You Free 2008
-
However, before they can leave, a beacon is planted somewhere on the base, alerting the Vanguard to the location of the ship.
Superhero Nation: how to write superhero novels and comic books » JM’s Review Forum 2009
-
Separately, when she went to some websites, they had a different kind of technology called a beacon, which is another invisible kind of tracker that runs some software while you're on a page and tries to assess what you're doing on that page.
-
All we need to relight the beacon is to return to our true core values – they're all there right in the Declaration and Constitution.
Poll: Image of US will 'change for the better' with Obama 2008
-
Separately, when she went to some websites, they had a different kind of technology called a beacon, which is another invisible kind of tracker that runs some software while you're on a page and tries to assess what you're doing on that page.
-
Separately, when she went to some websites, they had a different kind of technology called a beacon, which is another invisible kind of tracker that runs some software while you're on a page and tries to assess what you're doing on that page.
-
Separately, when she went to some websites, they had a different kind of technology called a beacon, which is another invisible kind of tracker that runs some software while you're on a page and tries to assess what you're doing on that page.
-
The large colorful colonial church looms like a beacon from the far edge of the plaza.
Comments
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.