beam

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A squared-off log or a large, oblong piece of timber, metal, or stone used especially as a horizontal support in construction.
2. n. Nautical A transverse structural member of a ship's frame, used to support a deck and to brace the sides against stress.
3. n. Nautical The breadth of a ship at the widest point.
4. n. Nautical The side of a ship: sighted land off the starboard beam.
5. n. Informal The widest part of a person's hips: broad in the beam.
6. n. A steel tube or wooden roller on which the warp is wound in a loom.
7. n. An oscillating lever connected to an engine piston rod and used to transmit power to the crankshaft.
8. n. The bar of a balance from which weighing pans are suspended.
9. n. Sports A balance beam.
10. n. The main horizontal bar on a plow to which the share, colter, and handles are attached.
11. n. One of the main stems of a deer's antlers.
12. n. A ray or shaft of light.
13. n. A concentrated stream of particles or a similar propagation of waves: a beam of protons; a beam of light.
14. n. A radio beam.
15. v. To radiate light; shine.
16. v. To smile expansively.
17. v. To emit or transmit: beam a message via satellite.
18. v. To express by means of a radiant smile: He beamed his approval of the new idea.
19. idiom. on the beam Following a radio beam. Used of aircraft.
20. idiom. on the beam On the right track; operating correctly.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. In architecture, a long piece of stone, wood, or metal, or a construction of wood or metal, or combining wood and metal, used in a horizontal position, usually in combination with others like it, all being generally laid parallel to one another, and at regular intervals, to support weight, or, as a tie-beam or a collar-beam, to resist two opposite forces either pulling or compressing it in the direction of its length.
2. n. A long piece fixed or movable in a structure, machine, or tool: often equivalent to girder. The word beam is used in a number of more or less specific senses; as: Any large piece of timber long in proportion to its thickness, prepared for use.
3. n. The pole of a carriage which runs between the horses.
4. n. A cylindrical piece 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.
5. n. The straight part or shank of an anchor.
6. n. One of the strong transverse pieces of timber or iron stretching across a ship from one side to the other, to support the decks and retain the sides at their proper distance.
7. n. The main piece of a plow, in which the plow-tails are fixed, and by which it is drawn.
8. n. The oscillating lever of a steam-engine reciprocating upon a center, and forming the medium of communication between the piston-rod and the crank-shaft. Also called working-beam or walking-beam. See cut under atmospheric.
9. n. The widest part of a ship's hull; the extreme breadth of a ship: from the beams extending quite across the vessel where it is broadest: as, a steamer of fifty feet beam.
10. n. The main stem of a deer's horns bearing the snags or antlers. One of the snags themselves is sometimes called the beam-antler. See antler.
11. n. A ray of light, or more strictly a collection of parallel rays of light, emitted from the sun or other luminous body. The middle ray is the axis. In heraldry, beams of the sun are commonly represented as radiating from some other charge, which is then said to be radiant or rayonnant.
12. n. Figuratively, a ray or emanation of splendor: as, “beams of majesty,”
13. n. Same as rood-beam.
14. To shed rays of light upon; irradiate.
15. To shoot forth or emit, as or like beams or rays: as, to beam love upon a person.
16. To furnish or supply with beams; give the appearance of beams to.
17. In currying, to stretch on the beam, as a hide.
18. In weaving, to put on the beam, as a chain or web.
19. To emit beams or rays of light; shed or give out radiance, literally or figuratively; shine.
20. n. In lace-manuf., a tin drum of small diameter, varying in length with the width of the machine, upon which the yarn is wound.
21. n. In currying, an inclined table or stand on which the skin is placed while it is beamed or scraped.
22. To burnish, as morocco leather, with a beaming-machine; also, in currying, to flesh or shave on the flesh side.

Wiktionary

1. n. Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use.
2. n. One of the principal horizontal timbers of a building; one of the transverse members of a ship's frame on which the decks are laid - supported at the sides by knees in wooden ships and by stringers in steel ones.
3. n. nautical The maximum width of a vessel
4. n. The crossbar of a mechanical balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended.
5. n. The principal stem of the antler of a deer.
6. n. literary The pole of a carriage.(Can we clean up(+) this sense?)
7. n. textiles 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.
8. n. The straight part or shank of an anchor.
9. n. 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.
10. n. 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.
11. n. A ray or collection of parallel rays emitted from the sun or other luminous body
12. n. figuratively A ray; a gleam
13. n. One of the long feathers in the wing of a hawk.
14. n. music A horizontal bar which connects the stems of two or more notes to group them and to indicate metric value.
15. n. An elevated rectangular dirt pile used to cheaply build an elevated portion of a railway.
16. v. intransitive To emit beams of light; shine; radiate;
17. v. intransitive, figuratively To smile broadly or especially cheerfully.
18. v. transitive To furnish or supply with beams; give the appearance of beams to.
19. v. transitive, science fiction To transmit matter or information via a high-tech wireless mechanism.
20. v. transitive To stretch on a beam, as a hide.
21. v. transitive, weaving To put on a beam, as a chain or web.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use.
2. n. One of the principal horizontal timbers of a building or ship.
3. n. The width of a vessel.
4. n. The bar of a balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended.
5. n. The principal stem or horn of a stag or other deer, which bears the antlers, or branches.
6. n. Poetic The pole of a carriage.
7. n. 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. n. The straight part or shank of an anchor.
9. n. 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. n. (Steam Engine) 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. n. A ray or collection of parallel rays emitted from the sun or other luminous body.
12. n. A ray; a gleam.
13. n. One of the long feathers in the wing of a hawk; -- called also beam feather.
14. v. To send forth; to emit; -- followed ordinarily by forth.
15. v. To emit beams of light.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. (nautical) breadth amidships
2. n. a signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides airplane pilots in darkness or bad weather
3. v. experience a feeling of well-being or happiness, as from good health or an intense emotion
4. n. a column of light (as from a beacon)
5. v. broadcast over the airwaves, as in radio or television
6. v. have a complexion with a strong bright color, such as red or pink
7. v. express with a beaming face or smile
8. n. long thick piece of wood or metal or concrete, etc., used in construction
9. v. emit light; be bright, as of the sun or a light
10. v. smile radiantly; express joy through one's facial expression
11. n. a gymnastic apparatus used by women gymnasts
12. n. the broad side of a ship
13. n. a group of nearly parallel lines of electromagnetic radiation