Pharos

[ fair-os ]

noun

1. a small peninsula in northern Egypt, near Alexandria: site of ancient lighthouse built by Ptolemy.
2. the lighthouse on this peninsula. Compare Seven Wonders of the World.
3. (lowercase) any lighthouse or beacon to direct sailors.

Pharos

/ ˈfɛərɒs /

noun

1. a large Hellenistic lighthouse built on an island off Alexandria in Egypt in about 280 bc and destroyed by an earthquake in the 14th century: usually included among the Seven Wonders of the World

Word History and Origins

Origin of Pharos¹

First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin Pharos, Pharus, from Greek Pháros, the name of an island (now a peninsula) lying off Alexandria; the name of the lighthouse at the eastern end of the island; a lighthouse

Example Sentences

Pharos, a longtime contributor, mentioned that Swahili Wikipedia had unanimously voted to reject the new skin and curtly demanded a return to the old skin.

From Slate

On Dec. 6, Richard Knipel, a longtime Wikipedian under the handle Pharos who is involved in the Wikimedia New York City local chapter, posted a new Wikipedia entry titled “Artwork title.”

From Slate

“Private equity sees a huge opportunity to take smaller businesses that lack sophistication, lack the ability to grow, lack the capital investment. And private equity says, ‘We can come in there, cobble these things together, get standardization, get visibility and be able to create a better footprint, better access, and more opportunities,’” said Steve Larkin, CEO of Charter Healthcare, a hospice chain owned by the private equity firm Pharos Capital Group.

From Seattle Times

Mrs Sturman, an electrical engineer with Pharos Marine Automatic Power in Gorleston, has created pieces of art using hard, coloured plastics, metal lids and bits of netting and rope she finds on the coastline.

From BBC

Dr. Soe-Lin, a lecturer in global health at Yale, is the managing director of the nonprofit Pharos Global Health Advisors.

From New York Times

Related Words

• flare
• lantern
• radar