Definition

1. Noun:
   • A tower or other structure displaying a bright light to warn or guide ships at sea: A "lighthouse" is a tall building, often located on a coast or island, equipped with a powerful lamp and lens system. Its primary function is to emit a distinctive beam of light to serve as a navigational aid, warning mariners of dangerous areas like rocks or shallow water (shoals) and helping them determine their position.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The old lighthouse has guided sailors safely into the harbor for over a century.
  • We could see the beam from the lighthouse sweeping across the dark sea every few seconds.
  • The storm damaged the lighthouse on the remote island.

Advanced Usage

• "To be a lighthouse" (figurative): To serve as a guiding principle or a source of hope and direction in difficult times.
  • Her unwavering faith was a lighthouse for her family during the crisis.

Variants and Related Words

• Lightkeeper / Lighthouse keeper (n): A person responsible for maintaining and operating a lighthouse.

  • The last lighthouse keeper retired when the light was automated.

• Lighthouse tower (n): Specifically refers to the tower structure of the lighthouse.

Synonyms

• Beacon: A fire or light set up in a high or prominent position as a warning, signal, or celebration. (While a beacon can be any signal light, a lighthouse is a specific type of maritime beacon.)
• Pharos: A literary or historical term for a lighthouse, derived from the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria.

Related Phrases

• Lighthouse beam: The shaft of light emitted by a lighthouse.
• Lighthouse lens: The often large, glass optical system (like a Fresnel lens) used to magnify the light.

Related Idioms

• A beacon of hope: While not using the word "lighthouse," this idiom shares the same figurative concept of providing guidance and hope, much like a lighthouse's beam in darkness.
  • The charity became a beacon of hope for the refugees.

Noun

1. a tower with a light that gives warning of shoals to passing ships