Dictionary Definition
beacon
Noun
1 a fire (usually on a hill or tower) that can be
seen from a distance [syn: beacon
fire]
2 a radio station that broadcasts a directional
signal for navigational purposes [syn: radio
beacon]
3 a tower with a light that gives warning of
shoals to passing ships [syn: lighthouse, beacon
light, pharos]
Verb
1 shine like a beacon
2 guide with a beacon
User Contributed Dictionary
Noun
- A signal fire to notify of the approach of an enemy, or to give any notice, commonly of warning or guiding.
- A signal or conspicuous mark erected on an eminence near the shore, or moored in shoal water, as a guide to mariners.
- A high hill or other easily distinguishable object near the shore which can serve as guidance for seafarers.
- That which gives notice of danger.
Translations
signal fire
- Arabic: (fanār)
- Chinese: 烽 (fēng), 狼烟 (láng yān)
- Dutch: bakenvuur
- Finnish: merkkituli
- French: balise
- German: Leuchtfeuer
- Hebrew: משואה
- Hungarian: jelzőtűz
- Japanese: かがり火 (かがりび, kagaribi)
- Russian: сигнальный огонь (signál’nyj ogón’)
- Spanish: faro
- Turkish: fener
signaling or guiding mark erected as guide to
mariners
high hill or similar
- Finnish: maamerkki
that which warns
- Finnish: varoitin
Derived terms
Extensive Definition
- Marker beacon
- Distress radiobeacons (ELTs, PLBs & EPIRBs)
- Beacon, New York
beacon in Danish: bavn
beacon in German: Befeuerung
beacon in Modern Greek (1453-): Φρυκτωρία
beacon in Italian: Faro
beacon in Korean: 봉수
beacon in Norwegian: Varde
beacon in Norwegian Nynorsk: Varde
beacon in Swedish: Vårdkase
beacon in Chinese: 烽火台
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
AM transmitter, FM transmitter, Klaxon, Mayday, RT transmitter, Roman
candle, SOS, Texas tower,
Very flare, aid to navigation, air-raid alarm, airport beacon,
airway beacon, alarm,
alarm bell, alarm clock, alarm signal, alarum, alert, all clear, amateur
transmitter, amber light, anchor light, approach light, backfire, balefire, beacon fire, beacons, beam, bell, bell buoy, belvedere, blaze, bleachers, blinker, blinker light, blinking
light, blue peter, bonfire, bridge, buoy, burglar alarm, burning ghat,
buzzer, campfire, caution light,
ceiling light, cheerful fire, combustion, conflagration, conning
tower, corposant, cozy
fire, crackling fire, crematory, crostarie, death fire, fan
marker, fen fire, fiery cross, fire, fire alarm, fire bell, fire
flag, five-minute gun, flame, flare, flare path, flare-up,
flashing light, flashing point, flicker, flickering flame, fog
bell, fog signal, fog whistle, foghorn, forest fire, fox fire,
funeral pyre, fusee, gale
warning, gallery,
gazebo, glance, go light, gong buoy,
grandstand, green
light, heliograph,
high sign, hooter,
horn, hue and cry,
hurricane warning, ignis fatuus, ignition, ingle, international alphabet
flag, international numeral pennant, kick, lambent flame, leer, light, lighthouse, lightship, lookout, loophole, magnesium flare,
marker, marker beacon,
marshfire, microphone, navigation light,
nod, note of alarm, nudge, observation post, observatory, occulting
light, open fire, outlook, overlook, parachute flare,
peanut gallery, peephole, pharos, pilot flag, poke, police whistle, prairie fire,
pylon, pyre, quarantine flag, racon, radar beacon, radiator, radio beacon, radio
range beacon, radio transmitter, radiomicrophone,
radiosonde, raging
fire, red flag, red light, ringside, ringside seat,
rocket, sailing aid, sea
of flames, semaphore,
semaphore flag, semaphore telegraph, sheet of fire, sighthole, sign, signal, signal beacon, signal
bell, signal fire, signal flag, signal flare, signal gong, signal
gun, signal lamp, signal light, signal mast, signal of distress,
signal post, signal rocket, signal shot, signal siren, signal
tower, siren, skyrocket, small-craft
warning, smudge fire, spar buoy, still alarm, stop light, storm
cone, storm flag, storm warning, the nod, the wink, three-alarm
fire, tocsin, top
gallery, touch, tower, traffic light, traffic
signal, transceiver,
transmitter,
two-alarm fire, two-minute gun, upside-down flag, watch fire,
watchtower, whistle, white flag, wigwag, wigwag flag, wildfire, wind cone, wind
indicator, wind sock, wink,
witch fire, yellow flag