beacon
n. countablen. a bright light or signal that guides people or warns them of danger. You can also use it to describe a person or thing that gives others hope.
n. a fire or light set up in a high or prominent position as a warning, signal, or guide. Often used figuratively to describe a source of inspiration or guidance.
The lighthouse acts as a beacon for ships at sea.
The rescue team followed the emergency beacon to find the hikers lost in the dense fog.
In a time of political instability, the small library remained a beacon of knowledge and free speech for the entire community.
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”).
Often used in the construction 'a beacon of [abstract noun]', such as 'a beacon of hope' or 'a beacon of light'.