name, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   An ancient lighthouse or beacon to guide sailors. historical

   "He […] built a Pharos, or Light House."

2. 2
   a tower with a light that gives warning of shoals to passing ships wordnet
3. 3
   That which stands out; a shining light. figuratively

   "The house was not very felicitously titled, said many: it was no academic pharos."

Proper Noun

1. 1
   A small island off Alexandria where the Lighthouse of Alexandria was located.
2. 2
   The Lighthouse of Alexandria, located on the island Pharos

Synonyms

All synonyms

beaconbeaconbeacon lightbelvederebench markbleachers

Example

More examples

"The lighthouse on the island of Pharos was exceeded in height only by the Pyramids of Giza further inland."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Ancient Greek Φάρος (Pháros).

Etymology 2

Derived from Ancient Greek Φάρος (Pháros) via Latin Pharos. Doublet of Hvar.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.