Beacon

What does Beacon mean in American Law?

The definition of Beacon in the law of the United States, as defined by the lexicographer Arthur Leff in his legal dictionary is:

One ancient meaning was a pile of readily inflammable materials kept ready for firing as a warning of invasion. – Beacon also referred anciently to any prominent features identifiable from a ship (e.g., church steeples; notable stands of trees) which might help a mariner calculate where he was. It then came to cover structures especially erected for this purpose, particularly those fitted with lanterns or lights for night viewing, and by now refers almost wholly to navigational lights, especially those in lighthouses.

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See Also

• Commerce
• Wreck