Meaning & use
beacon
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A light, fire or radio signal placed where it can be seen or detected from far away, to warn or guide.
Grammar: Countable: a beacon on the hill.
Patterns
- a beacon on something
- a beacon for someone
A beacon on the cliff warned ships of the rocks.
The rescuers followed the signal from the emergency beacon.
Long ago, a fire beacon passed news from hill to hill.
nouncountablefigurative
A person, place or idea that offers hope, guidance or an example to others.
Grammar: Figurative, often with of: a beacon of hope.
Patterns
- a beacon of hope
- a beacon for someone
The clinic became a beacon of hope for the neighborhood.
Her kindness was a beacon in a difficult year.
The university remained a beacon for students seeking freedom.
nouncountablecomputing
A small device that sends out a signal so that other devices can find it or connect to it.
Grammar: Used in technology: a Bluetooth beacon.
Patterns
- a Bluetooth beacon
- a tracking beacon
The store placed a Bluetooth beacon near the entrance.
Hikers carry a locator beacon in case they get lost.
A small beacon on the collar helps owners find lost pets.
Word forms
| plural | beacons |
|---|
Common combinations
- beacon of hope
- The new school is a beacon of hope for the town.
- emergency beacon
- The pilot switched on the emergency beacon.
- flashing beacon
- A flashing beacon marked the edge of the runway.
- guiding beacon
- The lighthouse was a guiding beacon for sailors.
- radio beacon
- The aircraft homed in on a radio beacon.
- light a beacon
- They lit a beacon to celebrate the festival.
Synonyms and how they differ
- signal
- A signal is any sign that sends a message, while a beacon is a fixed, visible signal meant to guide or warn from far off.
- lighthouse
- A lighthouse is a tower with a powerful light for ships, whereas beacon can be any light or signal, including a small one.
- guiding light
- Guiding light is mostly figurative for a person or idea that guides you, while beacon can also be a physical device.
- flare
- A flare is a short-lived burst of light used to signal trouble, whereas a beacon usually stays on.
Word family
- beaconing noun
- the act of sending out signals so a device can be found
- beacon verb
- to shine or signal like a beacon; literary and rare
Commonly confused: beacon or bacon? beacon or beckon?
beacon vs bacon
Bacon is salted pork eaten for breakfast; beacon is a guiding light or signal. They differ only by one vowel in spelling.
beacon vs beckon
Beckon means to signal someone to come with a gesture, while beacon is a noun for a light or guide.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'beacon' in its figurative sense?
Choose one answer.
Calling someone a beacon of courage is figurative: she guides and inspires others. The other sentences refer to a literal light or device.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “beacon”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.