beacon

Meaning

Noun

1. A signal fire to notify of the approach of an enemy, or to give any notice, commonly of warning.
2. A signal, buoy, post, or other conspicuous mark erected on an eminence near the shore, or moored in shoal water, as a guide to mariners, particularly to warn vessels of danger.
3. A high hill or other easily distinguishable object near the shore which can serve as guidance for seafarers.
4. (figuratively) That which gives notice of danger, hope, etc., or keeps people on the correct path; a source of inspiration.
5. An electronic device that broadcasts a signal to nearby portable devices, enabling smartphones etc. to perform actions when in physical proximity to the beacon.
6. (Internet, abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis) Ellipsis of web beacon.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To act as a beacon.
2. (transitive) To give light to, as a beacon; to light up; to illumine.
3. (transitive) To furnish with a beacon or beacons.

Synonyms

lighthouse

pharos

signal fire

radio beacon

lead

buoy

light

beacon fire

beacon light

warning light

cresset

skyrocket

guide

seamark

conduct

flare

idiot light

illume

illuminate

illumine

indicator

indicator lamp

irradiate

lantern

🏮

light up

marker

marker beacon

marshal

move

peg

pilot lamp

pilot light

prologize

sign

signal

signal light

symbol

target

torch

BCN

localizer

fuzee

bale-fire

directing sign

sighting target

signal bridge

navigation mark

shore beacon

rotating light

sighting board

Translations

phare

faro

φάρος

Bake

baken

Leuchtfeuer

balise

almenara

faro

farol

fener

🏮

baliza

Funkfeuer

φανάρι

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈbiːkən/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: beken

Inherited from Old English: bēacn

Cognate with Western Frisian: beaken

Cognate with Dutch: baken

Cognate with Middle Low German: bāke

Cognate with German: Bake

Cognate with Middle High German: bouchen

In summary

From Middle English beken, from Old English bēacn (“sign, signal”), from Proto-West Germanic *baukn, from Proto-Germanic *baukną, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂u-, *bʰeh₂- (“to shine”).
Doublet of buoy. Compare West Frisian beaken (“buoy”), Dutch baken (“beacon”), Middle Low German bāke (“beacon, sign”), German Bake (“traffic sign”), Middle High German bouchen (“sign”).