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
Also called: racon
radar beacon in American English
US
a beacon with its transmitter and other components that emits radar waves for reception and display, indicating its range or bearing, or both, from a receiving set: it is usually a transponder that returns coded signals only when triggered by a specific radar pulse