Meaning & use
a lighthouse
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A tall building with a light at the top that warns or guides ships near the coast.
Grammar: Usually used with 'a' or in the plural: 'lighthouses'.
Patterns
- a lighthouse
- the lighthouse keeper
The lighthouse stood on the rocky point, its beam sweeping the sea.
Sailors rely on lighthouses to avoid dangerous rocks at night.
We visited an old lighthouse that had been turned into a museum.
nouncountablefigurative
A person or thing that guides or gives hope in difficult times.
Grammar: Used figuratively, often in writing.
Patterns
- a lighthouse of hope
Her kindness was a lighthouse in his darkest days.
The charity became a lighthouse for the homeless community.
Word forms
| plural | lighthouses |
|---|
Common combinations
- a lighthouse keeper
- The lighthouse keeper climbed the stairs every evening to light the lamp.
- the lighthouse beam
- The lighthouse beam could be seen from miles away.
- built a lighthouse
- They built a lighthouse on the island to prevent shipwrecks.
Synonyms and how they differ
- beacon
- A light or signal that guides; broader and can be on land or at sea.
- warning light
- A general term; 'lighthouse' specifically refers to the building.
Commonly confused: a lighthouse or light house?
a lighthouse vs light house
Not a standard term; 'lighthouse' is one word.
Practice
What is the main purpose of a lighthouse?
Choose one answer.
A lighthouse has a light to guide ships and warn them of rocks or coastlines.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a lighthouse”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.