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Glite Dictionary
Tower of Pharos

Tower of Pharos

9.9
An ancient lighthouse at Alexandria that guided ships to the port
  • proper noun
translation icon : Torre de Faros
  • The Tower of Pharos guided countless sailors safely to the port of Alexandria.

Examples

  • Archaeologists still debate the exact appearance of the legendary Tower of Pharos.

  • Did you know the Tower of Pharos was built over 2,000 years ago?

  • Ancient texts describe the Tower of Pharos as a marvel of engineering.

  • The Tower of Pharos was an architectural marvel.

  • Ancient texts describe the Tower of Pharos as a wonder of the ancient world.

  • The Tower of Pharos guided sailors to safety for many centuries.

  • Archaeologists still debate how the Tower of Pharos looked in its prime.

Synonyms

pharos
vsTower of Pharos
  • Archaic
2 9.9

A tall tower with a light that guides ships at sea

is the specific famous ancient instance rather than a general class
Lighthouse of Alexandria
vsTower of Pharos
7.9

A very tall ancient lighthouse on Pharos island in Alexandria that guided ships and was one of the Seven Wonders

is the same famous ancient structure regarded as one of the Seven Wonders

Surface Forms

Tower of Pharos main

Morphology

tower + of + pharos

The meaning is directly derivable from 'tower' (a tall structure) combined with 'Pharos' (the lighthouse/place name): a learner who knows both constituents can infer it refers to the lighthouse landmark at Pharos. This is a compositional place-name rather than an idiomatic phrase, so its meaning is transparent to learners who know the words.

Etymology

Tower of Pharos comes from a real island called Pharos, where a very tall tower with fires at the top showed ships the way to Alexandria. It was a famous 'lighthouse', so the name means a great light that 'guided' sailors to safety.