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Added 7 October 2026

beacon

/ˈbiːkən/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about beacon at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A fire (usually on a hill or tower) that can be seen from a distance.
A radio station that broadcasts a directional signal for navigational purposes.
A tower with a light that gives warning of shoals to passing ships.

verb

Shine like a beacon.
Guide with a beacon.

Origin

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”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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