A beacon is a light or a fire, usually on a hill or tower, which acts as a signal or a warning.
2. countable noun
If someone acts as a beaconto other people, they inspire or encourage them.
Our Parliament has been a beacon of hope to the peoples of Europe. [+ of]
He acted as a beacon for new immigrants. [+ for]
More Synonyms of beacon
beacon in British English
(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
3.
a lighthouse, signalling buoy, etc, used to warn or guide ships in dangerous waters
4. short for radio beacon
5.
a radio or other signal marking a flight course in air navigation
6. short for Belisha beacon
7.
a person or thing that serves as a guide, inspiration, or warning
8.
a stone set by a surveyor to mark a corner or line of a site boundary, etc
verb
9.
to guide or warn
10. (intransitive)
to shine
Word origin
Old English beacen sign; related to Old Frisian bāken, Old Saxon bōcan, Old High German bouhhan
beacon in American English
(ˈbikən)
noun
1.
a signal fire, esp. one on a hill, pole, etc.
2.
any light or radio signal for warning or guiding
3.
a lighthouse
4.
a radio transmitter that sends out signals for the guidance of aircraft, as at night or in fog
5.
a person or thing that warns, offers encouragement or guidance, etc.
verb transitive
6.
to light up (darkness, etc.)
7.
to provide or mark with beacons
verb intransitive
8.
to shine or serve as a beacon
Word origin
ME beken < OE beacen, becen < Gmc *baukna, prob. < IE *bhāu-, var. of base *bhā-, to gleam, shine > Gr phainein, to show, appear
Examples of 'beacon' in a sentence
beacon
The picture showed his vehicle displaying an emergency beacon.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Protesters plan to light beacons at beauty spots along the planned route.
The Sun (2011)
So the body becomes a beacon of their beliefs.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Who is the beacon for our hopes?
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The couple also triggered their emergency beacon.
The Sun (2009)
One shining beacon of hope amidst this week of gloom.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
And the beacon of hope was parked right outside the hut.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
We visited the idyllic village to ask locals why they think it has become a beacon of longevity.
The Sun (2012)
Most of the time these visuals are circling out and around the auditorium like the beacon of a lighthouse.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
She is a beacon of hope.
The Sun (2008)
Out of the darkness of one man's library shines a beacon.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Elstree has no instrument landing system, radar or directional radio beacons.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
She lights first beacon in nationwide chain of 1,000.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But there is one shining beacon of light - car auctions are booming.
The Sun (2009)
It will become as bright as all the other stars in the galaxy put together and shine like a beacon halfway across the universe.
The Sun (2010)
O beacon that shines as bright as day in the night.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
THE apex of the arch is fitted with a warning beacon for low-lying aircraft.
The Sun (2007)
Britain remains a beacon, with 10 per cent growth.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Some lives, some deeds, shine out like beacons.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Its ability to flash its light allows it to double up as an emergency beacon, making it a useful thing to keep in the car boot.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
We are all being urged to recycle more nowadays, and Hollywood is embracing salvage so ferociously that it could become a beacon for green values.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
In other languages
beacon
British English: beacon NOUN
A beacon is a light or a fire, usually on a hill or tower, which acts as a signal or a warning.
They used an emergency beacon to send for help.
American English: beacon
Brazilian Portuguese: farol
Chinese: 烽火
European Spanish: faro
French: balise
German: Leuchtfeuer
Italian: faro
Japanese: ビーコン
Korean: 등대
European Portuguese: farol
Latin American Spanish: faro
All related terms of 'beacon'
beacon light
a light signal for shipping
beacon school
a notably successful school whose methods and practices are brought to the attention of the education service as a whole in order that they may be adopted by other schools
beacon status
a ranking awarded by the government to an organization, rendering it eligible for extra funding , and aimed at encouraging organizations to share good practice with each other
radar beacon
a device for transmitting a coded radar signal in response to a signal from an aircraft or ship. The coded signal is then used by the navigator to determine his or her position
radio beacon
a fixed radio transmitting station that broadcasts a characteristic signal by means of which a vessel or aircraft can determine its bearing or position
Belisha beacon
a flashing light in an orange globe mounted on a post, indicating a pedestrian crossing on a road
landing beacon
a radio transmitter that emits a landing beam
Chinese translation of 'beacon'
beacon
(ˈbiːkən)
n(c)
(= signal) 信号(號)灯(燈) (xìnhàodēng) (盏, zhǎn)
(fig) 指路明灯(燈) (zhǐlù míngdēng) (盏, zhǎn)
1 (noun)
Definition
a signal fire or light on a hill or tower, used formerly as a warning of invasion
The full moon beams like a beacon in the clear sky.
Synonyms
signal
They fired three distress signals.
sign
His face and movements rarely betrayed any sign of nerves.
rocket
beam
flare
a ship which had fired a distress flare
bonfire
smoke signal
signal fire
2 (noun)
Definition
a lighthouse
a lonely beacon on the rocks
Synonyms
lighthouse
pharos
watchtower
Additional synonyms
in the sense of flare
Definition
the device producing such a blaze
a ship which had fired a distress flare
Synonyms
rocket,
light,
signal,
beacon
in the sense of sign
Definition
a visible indication
His face and movements rarely betrayed any sign of nerves.