beacon vs gleam

beacon

verb
  • To give light to, as a beacon; to light up; to illumine. 

  • To furnish with a beacon or beacons. 

  • To act as a beacon. 

noun
  • That which gives notice of danger, or keeps people on the correct path. 

  • An electronic device that broadcasts a signal to nearby portable devices, enabling smartphones etc. to perform actions when in physical proximity to the beacon. 

  • A signal fire to notify of the approach of an enemy, or to give any notice, commonly of warning. 

  • A high hill or other easily distinguishable object near the shore which can serve as guidance for seafarers. 

  • A signal or conspicuous mark erected on an eminence near the shore, or moored in shoal water, as a guide to mariners. 

  • A post or buoy placed over a shoal or bank to warn vessels of danger; also a signal mark on land. (FM 55-501) 

gleam

verb
  • Chiefly in conjunction with an adverb: to cause (light) to shine. 

  • To shine, especially in an indistinct or intermittent manner; to glisten, to glitter. 

  • To be strongly but briefly apparent. 

noun
  • A bright, but intermittent or short-lived, appearance of something. 

  • An appearance of light, especially one which is indistinct or small, or short-lived. 

  • A look of joy or liveliness on one's face. 

  • An indistinct sign of something; a glimpse or hint. 

How often have the words beacon and gleam occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )