beacon vs lantern

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) 

lantern

verb
  • To furnish with a lantern. 

noun
  • A light formerly used as a signal by a railway guard or conductor at night. 

  • An open structure of light material set upon a roof, to give light and air to the interior. 

  • A kind of cage inserted in a stuffing box and surrounding a piston rod, to separate the packing into two parts and form a chamber between for the reception of steam, etc.; a lantern brass. 

  • Aristotle's lantern 

  • A smaller and secondary cupola crowning a larger one, for ornament, or to admit light. 

  • A lantern pinion or trundle wheel. 

  • A case of translucent or transparent material made to protect a flame, or light, used to illuminate its surroundings. 

  • Especially, a metal casing with lens used to illuminate a stage (e.g. spotlight, floodlight). 

  • A cage or open chamber of rich architecture, open below into the building or tower which it crowns. 

  • A perforated barrel to form a core upon. 

adj
  • Of a facial feature, large and squarish in shape as an old-fashioned lantern. 

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