beacon
English · Thesaurus
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beacon¹
- /ˈbiːkən/ UK
Rhymes with -iːkən
Where it comes from
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”).
noun beacons
- A signal fire to notify of the approach of an enemy, or to give any notice, commonly of warning. No flaming Beacons caſt their Blaze afar, / The dreadful Signal of invaſive VVar.
- 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. Henceforth, wherever thou may’st roam, / My blessing, like a line of light, / Is on the waters day and night, / And like a beacon guards thee home.
- A high hill or other easily distinguishable object near the shore which can serve as guidance for seafarers.
- That which gives notice of danger, hope, etc., or keeps people on the correct path; a source of inspiration. a beacon of hope
- An electronic device that broadcasts a signal to nearby portable devices, enabling smartphones etc. to perform actions when in physical proximity to the beacon.
- Ellipsis of web beacon
verb beacons · beaconing · beaconed
- To act as a beacon.
- To give light to, as a beacon; to light up; to illumine. That beacons the darkness of heaven.
- To furnish with a beacon or beacons.
Beacon²
proper noun
- A minor city in Mahaska County, Iowa, United States.
- A city in Dutchess County, New York, United States.
- A hamlet in Luppitt parish, East Devon district, Devon, England (OS grid ref ST1705).
- A hamlet in Yarcombe parish, East Devon district, Devon (OS grid ref ST2308).
- A town in the Shire of Mount Marshall, Western Australia.
- A surname.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: radio beacon, pharos, lighthouse, beacon fire, beacon light, lantern, signpost, lamp, gauge, phare, headlamp, marker, ray, bulwark, stronghold, signage
Translations
Every language
noun signal fire
| Español | baliza, almenara |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | かがり火 kagaribi, 狼煙 noroshi |
| Português | almenara |
| Français | balise |
| Deutsch | Leuchtfeuer |
| Italiano | segnale, fuoco di segnalazione |
| Русский | сигна́льный ого́нь signálʹnyj ogónʹ |
| العربية | فَنَار fanār |
| עברית | מַשּׂוּאָה masu'á |
noun signaling or guiding mark erected as guide to mariners
| Español | almenara, fanal |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 등댓불 deungdaetbul |
| Português | farol, fanal |
| Français | phare |
| Deutsch | Bake |
| Italiano | faro, radiofaro |
| Русский | мая́к maják, ба́кен báken |
| العربية | مَنَار manār |
noun high hill or similar
| Español | cúspide, punto conspicuo |
|---|---|
| Français | amer |
| Deutsch | Bake, Orientierungspunkt |
| Italiano | punto cospicuo |
noun that which warns
| Deutsch | Fanal |
|---|---|
| Русский | предупрежде́ние predupreždénije |
Talk about this word "beacon." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/beacon. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. beacon. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/beacon "beacon." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/beacon.Cite this
@misc{beacon_2026,
title = {beacon},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/beacon},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
