lighthouse

lighthouse — noun

1. A tower or tall structure built beside the sea, fitted with a powerful lamp that

1.nounB2
Definition

A tower or tall structure built beside the sea, fitted with a powerful lamp that flashes or shines continuously to guide ships and warn crews about dangerous rocks or shallow areas near the coast.

Example

From the old lighthouse top, Lakshmi could see fishing boats far out at sea.

The lighthouse keeper climbed the spiral stairs every evening to light the lamp.

collocation: lighthouse keeper

Common collocations
  • lighthouse keeper
  • lighthouse beam
  • lighthouse tower
  • lighthouse station
  • abandoned lighthouse
  • historic lighthouse
  • lighthouse lens
Synonyms
  • beacon

    a broader term for any warning signal (light, radio, or fire); not necessarily a coastal tower

  • navigation light

    refers only to the lamp itself, not the tower that holds it

  • signal tower

    a general term that does not specify maritime or coastal use

Grammar Patterns

a/the lighthouse

lighthouse + verb

Usage Note

Often appears with 'lighthouse keeper' (the person who operates the light) and in contexts of maritime navigation and coastal geography. The light beam itself is frequently described as 'flashing', 'rotating', or 'sweeping'.

Common Mistakes

The lighthouse light is very tall.
The lighthouse is very tall.
The building is tall, not the light fixture on top.
The lighthouse warned us about the rocks.
The lighthouse warned the sailors about the rocks.
A lighthouse warns ships and their crews, not individual people on land.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A 'lighthouse' is a specific coastal structure with a bright lamp that warns ships about danger and helps them navigate. A 'beacon' is more general — it can be a light, a radio signal, or even a fire set on a hilltop to warn or guide people in any setting. 'Navigation light' refers only to the lamp or bulb itself (e.g. on a ship or aircraft), not to the building that houses it. 'Signal tower' is a broad term for any tower used to send visual or audio signals, such as railway signal towers or military lookout posts. For example: 'The lighthouse near Plymouth has guided sailors for two centuries' versus 'The mountain beacon was lit to warn the village of approaching enemies.'

lighthouse ↗beacon ↗navigation lightsignal tower

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • lighthouse keeper
  • lighthouse beam
  • lighthouse tower
  • lighthouse station

Prepositions

  • at a/the lighthouse
  • near a/the lighthouse
  • on a/the lighthouse

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'lighthouse' combines 'light' (from Old English 'lēoht', meaning brightness or illumination) with 'house' (from Old English 'hūs', meaning a building for shelter). The compound first appeared in the 16th century, describing a structure that 'houses' a warning light for ships at sea.