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English speakers, please help me: What is a lighthouse?

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Aug 18th 2012 05:35
Great Lakes are beautiful.

White sand beaches, blue water, woods on dunes, sunset and sunrise on the horizon, all are so nice.
The lighthouses of Great Lakes are also remarkably wonderful.
All of them have unique shapes, colors and histories.

Here are some of lighthouses that I visited:
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/17377410
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/17375858
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/27886289


I heard that Micigan has the most lighthouses in the United States.
However, I wonder what kind of the numbers are consider as the numbers of lighthouses.

What is a lighthouse?
I mean what the definition of lighthouse is.

It is clear that the above three objects are lighthouses.
I guess that nobody argue against that.

But how about these?

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/25766422
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/25766664
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/34035031

Are they called lighthouses?
Are they are simple beacons?
lighthouses must be "light" plus "houses", where lightkeepers stayed.

However, today's lighthouses don't require humans, as shown a typical one below.
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/17417843


How about this?
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/35370325
This "lighthouse" is a ship and could move around lakes.


How about this?
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/25749497
I guess no one say that this is a lighthouse.
This is clearly a buoy.
If it is a lighthouse, it is also clear that states with the coast of the Pacific Ocean have more lighthouses.


Then, is this the size matter?
This have separated light and house parts.
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/25753204
Which part's size is considered?

How about this?
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/58449877
This is a memorial tower, but lighten in night to serve as a position marker for ships.
Is this a lighthouse?

Now I would like to simply call them LIGHTS.
I have been taking photos of many lights to complete my photo collection.

Here are my photo library of the lights and piers:
http://www.panoramio.com/user/2161386/tags/lighthouses%20%26%20piers

However, my journey seems to be endless until I can get the right answer for my question about the definition of lighthouses.
English speakers, please help me.
What is a lighthouse?
ちなみに日本語ではhousesがあろうとなかろうと灯台と呼ぶので、日本人に共通の疑問です。
Kalani
Aug 18th 2012 06:08
A lighthouse is simply a tower or other similar structure that flashes a very bright light to help ships avoid crashing into dangerous areas (like cliffs or reef).
Aug 18th 2012 06:20 rikku
A lighthouse is a building that warns ships at sea that there is land near and they need to be careful.

The exact deffinition is: a structure (as a tower) with a powerful light that gives a continuous or intermittent signal to navigators
Aug 18th 2012 11:09 Unagi Unagi
So a lighthouse must be

1. a tower
2. lightened, of course ;)
3. a help for ships to avoid dangerous areas

Then my question is still open for
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/25766422
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/25766664
Are they are towers?

Aug 18th 2012 14:26 rikku
It is a tower that has the capacity to house people while lighting the way for ships. Some lighthouses have actual houses connected to them or just a tower with rooms so the keepers can rest when not at work. Does this help more?
TriAnarchy
Aug 18th 2012 06:19
Hmm, I think 'lighthouse' still implies 'house'. So, even if the keeper is no longer there, it should be place that a human can enter.
Aug 18th 2012 11:31 Unagi Unagi
Hi TriAnarchy,

It is a good and very important point!

But...
then this is not a lighthouse:
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/76998480

Is it right?
Aug 18th 2012 11:40 TriAnarchy
Well, the definition of a house is a 'residence for humans'. So I think a light house must allow people to reside in it, or give the illusion that it is possible for people to live in it, while keeping its main function of using a light to show the way for ships.
Aug 18th 2012 21:09 Unagi Unagi
Hi TriAnarchy,

Thank you for explanation.
I wonder what I should call the above object.
I sometimes use "beacon" or "light" to describe similar one.
Is it fine?
Aug 23rd 2012 09:41 TriAnarchy
Well, I think 'beacon' is better since it is more specific. I am not sure though, there could be a more technical term that I am not familiar with.
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Great Lakes are beautiful. White sand beaches, blue water, woods on dunes, sunset and sunrise on the horizon, all are so nice. The lighthouses of Great Lakes are also remarkably wonderful. All of them have unique shapes, colors and histories. Here are some of lighthouses that I visited: http


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