beacons

Noun

beacon (plural beacons)

1. A signal fire to notify of the approach of an enemy, or to give any notice, commonly of warning.
   • No flaming Beacons caſt their Blaze afar, / The dreadful Signal of invaſive VVar.1713, [John] Gay, Rural Sports. A Poem. […], 2nd edition, London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 15
2. 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.
   • Henceforth, wherever thou may’st roam, / ⁠My blessing, like a line of light, / ⁠Is on the waters day and night, / And like a beacon guards thee home.1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XVII”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 28
3. A high hill or other easily distinguishable object near the shore which can serve as guidance for seafarers.
4. (figuratively) That which gives notice of danger, hope, etc., or keeps people on the correct path; a source of inspiration.
   • a beacon of hope
5. An electronic device that broadcasts a signal to nearby portable devices, enabling smartphones etc. to perform actions when in physical proximity to the beacon.

See all 13 meanings of beacon