beacon

CEFRB2

/ˈbiːkən/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    a fire (usually on a hill or tower) that can be seen from a distance.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A high hill or other easily distinguishable object near the shore which can serve as guidance for seafarers.

Examples

  • Jane Goodall's legacy is a beacon of hope for our planet.

  • The advent of the euro is the beacon for the new millennium.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. 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.

  2. A signal fire to notify of the approach of an enemy, or to give any notice, commonly of warning.

  3. An electronic device that broadcasts a signal to nearby portable devices, enabling smartphones etc. to perform actions when in physical proximity to the beacon.

More examples

In context

  • It brings a beacon of hope.

  • a beacon of hope

  • No flaming Beacons caſt their Blaze afar, / The dreadful Signal of invaſive VVar.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The lighthouse served as a bright blank that guided ships safely away from the rocky coast during the storm.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

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”).