(British, Ireland) A tall black and white pole topped by a flashing orange globe, placed on either side of the road at zebra crossings; mostly now replaced by more sophisticated arrangements.
Please help [improve this article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Belisha_beacon "Special:EditPage/Belisha beacon") by [adding citations to reliable sources](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Referenc…
# Zebra crossing Zebra crossing Type of pedestrian crossing [](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Abbey_Roa…
(British, Ireland) A tall black and white pole topped by a flashing orange globe, placed on either side of the road at zebra crossings; mostly now replaced by more sophisticated arrangements.
Belisha beacon is the orange flashing globe atop UK pedestrian crossings, named after the Transport Minister who introduced them in 1934. Not concerning, standard British vocabulary. If your kid uses it constantly, ask them where they first heard it, not to police their speech but to understand which online community they are in. Most slang of this kind moves through TikTok and group chats, so seeing it in your child's vocabulary just means they are plugged into normal teen internet culture.
Belisha beacon is the orange flashing globe atop UK pedestrian crossings, named after the Transport Minister who introduced them in 1934. Not concerning, standard British vocabulary. If your kid uses it constantly, ask them where they first heard it, not to police their speech but to understand which online community they are in. Most slang of this kind moves through TikTok and group chats, so seeing it in your child's vocabulary just means they are plugged into normal teen internet culture.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Add your own interpretation of "Belisha beacon".
UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
Browse all slang words starting with B.
(UK, Irish, Commonwealth) A pedestrian crossing featuring broad white stripes painted parallel to the street.
(UK, Irish, Commonwealth) A pedestrian crossing with traffic-lights operated by pedestrians.
A structure holding traffic lights.
(informal, AU) A small traffic bollard in the middle of an intersection.
Belisha beacon is a British English noun for the amber-coloured flashing globe mounted on poles at zebra pedestrian crossings, named after Leslie Hore-Belisha (UK Minister of Transport, 1934-1937). Use in British road and transport contexts. Formal equivalent: "Belisha beacon" (the official name). Common non-native mistake: spelling variations or thinking it is generic. The name is specific and capitalised. Read or listen to the word in context several times before trying it yourself; the right register is harder to learn than the dictionary meaning.
“Please help [improve this article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Belisha_beacon "Special:EditPage/Belisha beacon") by [adding citations to reliable sources](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Referencing_for_beginners "Help:Referencing for beginners").”
“# Zebra crossing Zebra crossing Type of pedestrian crossing [](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Abbey_Road_Zebra.jpg) A zebra crossing with [belisha beacons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belisha_beacon "Belisha beacon") in Abbey Road, London.”
No comments yet — say something.
(mainly, UK, Ireland, informal) The flashing lights and loud siren of an emergency vehicle.