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Token vs Beacon - What's the difference?

token | beacon |

As nouns the difference between token and beacon

is that token is something serving as an expression of something else; sign, symbol while beacon is a signal fire to notify of the approach of an enemy, or to give any notice, commonly of warning.

As verbs the difference between token and beacon

is that token is to betoken, indicate, portend, designate, denote while beacon is to act as a beacon.

As an adjective token

is done as an indication or a pledge; perfunctory, minimal or merely symbolic.

token

English

(wikipedia token)

Noun

(en noun)
  • Something serving as an expression of something else; sign, symbol
    • According to the Bible, the rainbow is a token of God's covenant with Noah.
  • A keepsake, momento, souvenir
    • Please accept this bustier as a token of our time together.
  • A piece of stamped metal used as a substitute for money; a voucher that can be exchanged for goods or services
    • Subway tokens are being replaced by magnetic cards.
    A book token is the easiest option for a Christmas gift.
  • (obsolete, sometimes, figurative) Evidence, proof; a confirming detail; physical trace, mark, footprint.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Say, by this token , I desire his company.
  • Support for a belief; grounds for an opinion; reason, reasoning, witcraft (see usage)
  • An extraordinary event serving as evidence of supernatural power, a miracle
  • An object or disclosure to attest or authenticate the bearer or an instruction; a password
  • A seal guaranteeing the quality of an item.
  • Something given or shown as a symbol or guarantee of authority or right; a sign of authenticity, of power, good faith.
  • * (rfdate) (Shakespeare)
    • Say, by this token , I desire his company.
  • A tally
  • (philosophy) A particular thing to which a concept applies.
  • (computing) An atomic piece of data, such as a word, for which a meaning may be inferred during parsing. Also called a symbol.
  • * 2004 , Randall Hyde, Write Great Code: Understanding the Machine , page 68
    • For each lexeme, the scanner creates a small data package known as a token and passes this data package on to the parser.
  • (computing) A conceptual object that can be possessed by a computer, process, etc. in order to regulate a turn-taking system such as a token ring network.
  • (grammar) A lexeme; a basic, grammatically indivisible unit of a language such as a keyword, operator or identifier.
  • (medical) A characteristic sign of a disease or of a bodily disorder, a symptom; a sign of a bodily condition, recovery, or health.
  • (medical, obsolete) A livid spot upon the body, indicating, or supposed to indicate, the approach of death.
  • * (rfdate)'' (Beaumont and Fletcher)
    • Like the fearful tokens of the plague, Are mere forerunners of their ends.
  • (printing) Ten and a half quires, or, commonly, 250 sheets, of paper printed on both sides; also, in some cases, the same number of sheets printed on one side, or half the number printed on both sides.
  • (mining) A bit of leather having a peculiar mark designating a particular miner. Each hewer sends one of these with each corf or tub he has hewn.
  • (mining) A thin bed of coal indicating the existence of a thicker seam at no great distance.
  • (rail transport) A physical object used for exchange between drivers and signalmen on single track lines.
  • (weaving) In a loom, a colored signal to show the weaver which shuttle to use.
  • (Church of Scotland) A piece of metal given beforehand to each person in the congregation who is permitted to partake of the Lord's Supper.

    • Synonyms

    * (something serving as an expression of something else) sign, symbol * (atomic piece of data) symbol

    Derived terms

    * by the same token * by that token — by that reason * in token of — on account of; because of, as an indication of * tokenism * tokenization * token ring

    See also

    * (philosophy) particular, universal, type

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Done as an indication or a pledge; perfunctory, minimal or merely symbolic.
    • He made a token tap on the brake pedal at the stop sign.
  • * 1927 , , Money and Monetary Policy in Early Times , page 393
    • If the as had been reduced to a token in 240 BC, it was now a little more token than before.
  • * 2000 , Cheris Kramarae, Dale Spender, Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women , Page 176
    • There are still many churches where the participation of women is token .
  • * 2008 , Adrian Blomfield, , Has Russia got a new Stalin? , March 31, 2008
    • Just to be on the safe side, the The Kremlin has also banned any of Putin’s serious critics from standing. Three unelectable misfits have been allowed to mount token challenges.
  • a minor attempt for appearance sake, or to minimally comply with a requirement
  • * he was hired as the company's token black
  • * ''the television show was primarily directed toward a negro audience, but it did have a few token whites as performers

    • Derived terms

    * tokenish * tokenistic * tokenless * tokenlike

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To betoken, indicate, portend, designate, denote
  • * 1962' (quoting '''c. 1398 text), (Hans Kurath) & Sherman M. Kuhn, eds., ''(Middle English Dictionary) , Ann Arbor, Mich.: (University of Michigan Press), , page 1242:
    • dorr?&
  • 773;', '''d?r?''' adj. & n.
  • To betroth
  • (philosophy) To symbolize, instantiate
  • * {{quote-journal, 2008, date=August 27, Mikkel Gerken, Is There a Simple Argument for Higher-Order Representation Theories of Awareness Consciousness?, Erkenntnis, url=, doi=10.1007/s10670-008-9116-z, volume=69, issue=2, pages=
    • , passage=In which sense does ‘?p ~(p & ~p)’ cause the tokening of the belief in the subject? }}

    Derived terms

    * To betoken * To foretoken * To toke

    References

    (Webster 1913) * Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia ----

    beacon

    English

    (wikipedia beacon)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A signal fire to notify of the approach of an enemy, or to give any notice, commonly of warning.
  • * Gay
    • No flaming beacons cast their blaze afar.
  • (nautical) 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).
  • A high hill or other easily distinguishable object near the shore which can serve as guidance for seafarers.
  • That which gives notice of danger.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Modest doubt is called / The beacon of the wise.

    Derived terms

    * aerobeacon * day beacon * radio beacon * web beacon

    See also

    * cairn * leading mark * navigation aid * navigation mark * radar reflector * sea mark, seamark

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To act as a beacon.
  • To give light to, as a beacon; to light up; to illumine.
    • That beacons the darkness of heaven. — Campbell.
  • To furnish with a beacon or beacons.