beacon vs route

beacon

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

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

  • 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) 

verb
  • To furnish with a beacon or beacons. 

  • To act as a beacon. 

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

route

noun
  • A specific entry in a router that tells the router how to transmit the data it receives. 

  • One of multiple methods or approaches to doing something. 

  • A course or way which is traveled or passed. 

  • One of the major provinces of imperial China from the Later Jin to the Song, corresponding to the Tang and early Yuan circuits. 

  • A race longer than one mile. 

  • A road or path; often specifically a highway. 

  • A regular itinerary of stops, or the path followed between these stops, such as for delivery or passenger transportation. 

verb
  • To direct or divert along a particular course. 

  • to connect two local area networks, thereby forming an internet. 

  • To send (information) through a router. 

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