meaning of beam
1. Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use.
2. One of the principal horizontal timbers of a building or ship.
3. The width of a vessel; as, one vessel is said to have more beam than another.
4. The bar of a balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended.
5. The principal stem or horn of a stag or other deer, which bears the antlers, or branches.
6. The pole of a carriage.
7. A cylinder of wood, making part of a loom, on which weavers wind the warp before weaving; also, the cylinder on which the cloth is rolled, as it is woven; one being called the fore beam, the other the back beam.
8. The straight part or shank of an anchor.
9. The main part 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.
10. 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; -- called also working beam or walking beam.
11. A ray or collection of parallel rays emitted from the sun or other luminous body; as, a beam of light, or of heat.
12. Fig. : A ray; a gleam; as, a beam of comfort.
13. One of the long feathers in the wing of a hawk; -- called also beam feather.
14. To send forth; to emit; -- followed ordinarily by forth; as, to beam forth light.
15. To emit beams of light.
16. A tree (Pyrus aria) related to the apple.
Related Words
beam | beam search | beambird | beamed | beamful | beamily | beaminess | beaming | beamingly | beamless | beamlet | beamy |
