[syn: beacon, lighthouse, beacon light, pharos]
VERB (2)
1. shine like a beacon;
2. guide with a beacon;
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Beacon \Bea"con\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beaconed (b[=e]"k'nd);
p. pr. & vb. n. Beaconing.]
1. To give light to, as a beacon; to light up; to illumine.
[1913 Webster]
That beacons the darkness of heaven. --Campbell.
[1913 Webster]
2. To furnish with a beacon or beacons.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Beacon \Bea"con\ (b[=e]"k'n), n. [OE. bekene, AS. be['a]cen,
b[=e]cen; akin to OS. b[=o]kan, Fries. baken, beken, sign,
signal, D. baak, OHG. bouhhan, G. bake; of unknown origin.
Cf. Beckon.]
1. A signal fire to notify of the approach of an enemy, or to
give any notice, commonly of warning.
[1913 Webster]
No flaming beacons cast their blaze afar. --Gay.
[1913 Webster]
2. A signal, such as that from a lighthouse, or a conspicuous
mark erected on an eminence near the shore, or moored in
shoal water, as a guide to mariners.
[1913 Webster]
3. A high hill near the shore. [Prov. Eng.]
[1913 Webster]
4. That which gives notice of danger.
[1913 Webster]
Modest doubt is called
The beacon of the wise. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
5. (Navigation) a radio transmitter which emits a
characteristic signal indication its location, so that
vehicles may determine their exact location by locating
the beacon with a radio compass; -- also called radio
beacon.
[1913 Webster]
5. [fig.] that which provides guidance or inspiration; the
Constitution has been a beacon for civil rights activists.
[PJC]
Beacon fire, a signal fire.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
beacon
n 1: a fire (usually on a hill or tower) that can be seen from a
distance [syn: beacon, beacon fire]
2: a radio station that broadcasts a directional signal for
navigational purposes [syn: radio beacon, beacon]
3: a tower with a light that gives warning of shoals to passing
ships [syn: beacon, lighthouse, beacon light, pharos]
v 1: shine like a beacon
2: guide with a beacon
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
210 Moby Thesaurus words for "beacon":
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
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary:
Beacon
a pole (Heb. to'ren) used as a standard or ensign set on the
tops of mountains as a call to the people to assemble themselves
for some great national purpose (Isa. 30:17). In Isa. 33:23 and
Ezek. 27:5, the same word is rendered "mast." (See Banner.)
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):
BEACON. A signal erected as a sea mark for the use of mariners; also, to
give warning of the approach of an enemy. 1 Com. Dig. 259; 5 Com. Dig. 173.
U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000):
Beacon, NY -- U.S. city in New York
Population (2000): 13808
Housing Units (2000): 5406
Land area (2000): 4.775167 sq. miles (12.367626 sq. km)
Water area (2000): 0.113614 sq. miles (0.294258 sq. km)
Total area (2000): 4.888781 sq. miles (12.661884 sq. km)
FIPS code: 05100
Located within: New York (NY), FIPS 36
Location: 41.504243 N, 73.965576 W
ZIP Codes (1990): 12508
Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
Headwords:
Beacon, NY
Beacon
U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000):
Beacon, IA -- U.S. city in Iowa
Population (2000): 518
Housing Units (2000): 217
Land area (2000): 1.006822 sq. miles (2.607656 sq. km)
Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
Total area (2000): 1.006822 sq. miles (2.607656 sq. km)
FIPS code: 05050
Located within: Iowa (IA), FIPS 19
Location: 41.275948 N, 92.680733 W
ZIP Codes (1990): 52534
Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
Headwords:
Beacon, IA
Beacon