beam

Plural: beams

Noun

• a signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides airplane pilots in darkness or bad weather
• long thick piece of wood or metal or concrete, etc., used in construction
• a group of nearly parallel lines of electromagnetic radiation
• a column of light (as from a beacon)
• (nautical) breadth amidships
• the broad side of a ship
  • "they sighted land on the port beam"
• a gymnastic apparatus used by women gymnasts
• Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use.
• One of the principal horizontal structural members, usually of steel, timber, or concrete, of a building.
• One of the transverse members of a ship's frame on which the decks are laid, and acting as part of the support for keeping the sides of the vessel in shape — supported at the sides by knees in wooden ships and by stringers in steel ones; cf. abeam, beam-ends.
• The maximum width of a vessel (note that a vessel with a beam of 15 foot can also be said to be 15 foot abeam).
• The direction across a vessel, perpendicular to fore-and-aft.
• The straight part or shank of an anchor.
• The crossbar of a mechanical balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended.
• In steam engines, a heavy iron lever having an oscillating motion on a central axis, one end of which is connected with the piston rod from which it receives motion, and the other with the crank of the wheel shaft.
• The central bar of a plow, to which the handles and colter are secured, and to the end of which are attached the oxen or horses that draw it.
• A ray or collection of approximately parallel rays emitted from the sun or other luminous body.
• The principal stem of the antler of a deer.
• One of the long feathers in the wing of a hawk.
• The pole of a carriage or chariot.
• A cylinder of wood, making part of a loom, on which weavers wind the warp before weaving and the cylinder on which the cloth is rolled, as it is woven.
• A ray; a gleam.
• A horizontal bar which connects the stems of two or more notes to group them and to indicate metric value.
• An elevated rectangular dirt pile used to cheaply build an elevated portion of a railway.
• Ellipsis of balance beam.
• A broad smile.

Verb

Verb Forms: beamed, beaming, beams

• To smile radiantly; to emit rays of light.
• smile radiantly; express joy through one's facial expression
• emit light; be bright, as of the sun or a light
  • "The fire beamed on their faces"
• express with a beaming face or smile
  • "he beamed his approval"
• broadcast over the airwaves, as in radio or television
• have a complexion with a strong bright color, such as red or pink
• experience a feeling of well-being or happiness, as from good health or an intense emotion
  • "She was beaming with joy"
• To emit beams of light; to shine; to radiate.
• To smile broadly or especially cheerfully.
• To furnish or supply with beams.
• To give the appearance of beams to.
• To transmit matter or information via a high-tech wireless mechanism.
• To transmit, especially by direct wireless means such as infrared.
• To stretch something (for example, an animal hide) on a beam.
• To put (something) on a beam.
• To connect (musical notes) with a beam, or thick line, in music notation.

Examples

• a beam of energy
• a beam of hope, or of comfort
• a beam of light
• Beam me up, Scotty; there's no intelligent life down here.
• She will beam with pride after playing a seven-letter word on the board.
• The injured crewmembers were immediately beamed to sickbay.
• This ship has more beam than that one.
• to beam forth light
• to beam with pride

Synonyms

air, balance beam, beam of light, broadcast, electron beam, glow, irradiation, light beam, radiate, radio beam, ray, ray of light, send, shaft, shaft of light, shine, transmit, beam feather, breadth, walking beam, working beam

Related Words

stick

Anagrams of beam