beam
any of various relatively long pieces of metal, wood, stone, etc., manufactured or shaped especially for use as rigid members or parts of structures or machines.
Building Trades. a horizontal bearing member, as a joist or lintel.
Engineering. a rigid member or structure supported at each end, subject to bending stresses from a direction perpendicular to its length.
Nautical.
a horizontal structural member, usually transverse, for supporting the decks and flats of a vessel.
the extreme width of a vessel.
the shank of an anchor.
Aeronautics. the direction perpendicular to the plane of symmetry of an aircraft and outward from the side.
the widest part.
Slang. the measure across both hips or buttocks: broad in the beam.
Machinery.
(in a loom) a roller or cylinder on which the warp is wound before weaving.
a similar cylinder on which cloth is wound as it is woven.
the crossbar of a balance, from the ends of which the scales or pans are suspended.
a ray of light: The sun shed its beams upon the vineyard.
a group of nearly parallel rays.
Radio, Aeronautics. a signal transmitted along a narrow course, used to guide pilots through darkness, bad weather, etc.
Electronics. a narrow stream of electrons, as that emitted from the electron gun of a cathode ray tube.
the angle at which a microphone or loudspeaker functions best.
the cone-shaped range of effective use of a microphone or loudspeaker.
Citizens Band Radio Slang. beam antenna.
a gleam; suggestion: a beam of hope.
a radiant smile.
the principal stem of the antler of a deer.
to emit in or as in beams or rays.
Radio. to transmit (a signal) in a particular direction.
Radio and Television. to direct (a program, commercial message, etc.) to a predetermined audience.
to emit beams, as of light.
to smile radiantly or happily.
Idioms about beam
beam in, Citizens Band Radio Slang. to be received under optimum conditions; be heard loud and clear: They told me I was really beaming in.
fly the beam, Radio, Aeronautics. (of an aircraft) to be guided by a beam.
off the beam,
not on the course indicated by a radio beam.
Informal. wrong; incorrect: The pollsters were off the beam again for the last presidential election.
on the beam,
on the course indicated by a radio beam, as an airplane.
Nautical. at right angles to the keel.
Informal. proceeding well; correct; exact: Their research is right on the beam and the results should be very valuable.
Origin of beam
1synonym study For beam
Other words from beam
- beamless, adjective
- beamlike, adjective
- outbeam, verb (used with object)
- un·beamed, adjective
- un·der·beam, noun
Words Nearby beam
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use beam in a sentence
The researchers formed positronium by colliding a beam of positrons with a target, where they met up with electrons.
A measurement of positronium’s energy levels confounds scientists | Emily Conover | August 24, 2020 | Science NewsDroplets spewed from the person’s speech show up neon green in the laser beam, moving like tiny meteor showers.
4 reasons you shouldn’t trash your neck gaiter based on the new mask study | Jonathan Lambert | August 12, 2020 | Science NewsA laser beam hits the debris in orbit and bounces back to Earth, and ground crews can measure how long that takes to figure out where they are and where they are going, alerting you to possible collisions with other objects.
How to cast a wider net for tracking space junk | Neel Patel | August 5, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewMeanwhile, the beams going the opposite way have their wavelength compressed by their shorter path.
A giant underground motion sensor in Germany tracks Earth’s wobbles | Maria Temming | July 17, 2020 | Science NewsBut, like the cosmic rays, the beams of light have a marginal effect.
Cosmic Rays May Explain Life’s Bias for Right-Handed DNA | Charlie Wood | June 29, 2020 | Quanta Magazine
Back then, no one ever imagined needing to beam live video to ground troops from a fighter jet.
Newest U.S. Stealth Fighter ‘10 Years Behind’ Older Jets | Dave Majumdar | December 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTConservative columnist George Will calls him a “cherubic 40-year-old…a human beam of sunshine.”
With Ernst and Gardner, Republicans Think They’ve Found the Formula | Eleanor Clift | November 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHer door stands ajar, halving the room with a beam of light.
After the Genocide, Rwanda’s Widows Aging Alone | Nina Strochlic | August 31, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOutside the lodge, running along its perimeter, was a small ditch lined by posts topped by a chest-high wooden beam.
The pulses are from a beam of light produced by the intense magnetic field, which sweeps across Earth as the neutron star rotates.
The latter went immediately to look for his wife, and found her hidden in an attic, hanging to a beam.
Cast the beam from thine eye before noticing the mote in that of thy neighbour.
Solomon and Solomonic Literature | Moncure Daniel ConwayIt was placed immediately over the shaft and pump-rods, requiring no engine-beam.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2) | Francis TrevithickA connecting rod worked a balance-beam, which worked the air-pump, feed-pump, and plug-rod for moving the valves.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2) | Francis TrevithickA large balance-beam was attached to the pump-rods, near the bottom cross-head.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2) | Francis Trevithick
British Dictionary definitions for beam
/ (biːm) /
a long thick straight-sided piece of wood, metal, concrete, etc, esp one used as a horizontal structural member
any rigid member or structure that is loaded transversely
the breadth of a ship or boat taken at its widest part, usually amidships
a ray or column of light, as from a beacon
a broad smile
one of the two cylindrical rollers on a loom, one of which holds the warp threads before weaving, the other the finished work
the main stem of a deer's antler from which the smaller branches grow
the central shaft of a plough to which all the main parts are attached
a narrow unidirectional flow of electromagnetic radiation or particles: a beam of light; an electron beam
the horizontal centrally pivoted bar in a balance
informal the width of the hips (esp in the phrase broad in the beam)
a beam in one's eye a fault or grave error greater in oneself than in another person
off beam or off the beam
not following a radio beam to maintain a course
informal wrong, mistaken, or irrelevant
on the beam
following a radio beam to maintain a course
nautical opposite the beam of a vessel; abeam
informal correct, relevant, or appropriate
to send out or radiate (rays of light)
(tr) to divert or aim (a radio signal or broadcast, light, etc) in a certain direction: to beam a programme to Tokyo
to pass (data, esp business card details, etc) from one hand-held computer to another by means of infrared beams
(intr) to smile broadly with pleasure or satisfaction
Origin of beam
1Derived forms of beam
- beamed, adjective
- beaming, adjective, noun
- beamless, adjective
- beamlike, adjective
- beamy, adjective
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with beam
see broad in the beam; off the beam.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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