beam-ends

[ beem-endz ]

plural noun
  1. Nautical. the ends of the transverse deck beams of a vessel.

Idioms about beam-ends

  1. on her beam-ends, Nautical. heeled so far on one side that the deck is practically vertical: The schooner was blown over on her beam-ends.

  2. on one's / the beam-ends, Slang. in desperate straits, especially financial straits.: Also on the beam's ends.

Origin of beam-ends

1
First recorded in 1765–75

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for beam-ends

beam-ends

pl n
  1. the ends of a vessel's beams

  2. on her beam-ends (of a vessel) heeled over through an angle of 90°

  1. on one's beam-ends

    • out of resources; destitute

    • desperate

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012