Beam

n.	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. The beams of a vessel are strong pieces of timber stretching across from side to side to support the decks. - Totten.
	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. The doubtful beam long nods from side to side. - Pope.
	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.	(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.	A ray or collection of parallel rays emitted from the sun or other luminous body; as, a beam of light, or of heat. How far that little candle throws his beams! - Shak.
	12.	A ray; a gleam; as, a beam of comfort. Mercy with her genial beam. - Keble.
	13.	One of the long feathers in the wing of a hawk; - called also beam feather. Abaft the beam (Naut.) in an arc of the horizon between a line that crosses the ship at right angles, or in the direction of her beams, and that point of the compass toward which her stern is directed. Beam center (Mach.) the fulcrum or pin on which the working beam of an engine vibrates. Beam compass an instrument consisting of a rod or beam, having sliding sockets that carry steel or pencil points; - used for drawing or describing large circles. Beam engine a steam engine having a working beam to transmit power, in distinction from one which has its piston rod attached directly to the crank of the wheel shaft. Before the beam (Naut.) in an arc of the horizon included between a line that crosses the ship at right angles and that point of the compass toward which the ship steers. On the beam in a line with the beams, or at right angles with the keel. On the weather beam on the side of a ship which faces the wind. To be on her beam ends to incline, as a vessel, so much on one side that her beams approach a vertical position.
v. t.	1.	To send forth; to emit; - followed ordinarily by forth; as, to beam forth light. [imp. & p. p. Beamed (bēmd); p. pr. & vb. n. Beaming.]
v. i.	1.	To emit beams of light. He beamed, the daystar of the rising age. - Trumbull.

Noun	1.	beam - a signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides pilots in darkness or bad weather Synonyms: radio beam
	2.	beam - long thick piece of wood or metal or concrete, etc., used in construction
	3.	beam - a column of light (as from a beacon) Synonyms: light beam, ray, ray of light, beam of light, shaft of light, irradiation, shaft
	4.	beam - a group of nearly parallel lines of electromagnetic radiation Synonyms: electron beam, ray
	5.	beam - (nautical) breadth amidships
	6.	beam - a gymnastic apparatus used by women gymnasts Synonyms: balance beam
Verb	1.	beam - smile radiantly; express joy through one's facial expression
	2.	beam - emit light; be bright, as of the sun or a light; "The sun shone bright that day"; "The fire beamed on their faces" Synonyms: shine
	3.	beam - express with a beaming face or smile; "he beamed his approval"
	4.	beam - broadcast over the airwaves, as in radio or television; "We cannot air this X-rated song" Synonyms: broadcast, air, transmit, send
	5.	beam - especially of the complexion: show a strong bright color, such as red or pink; "Her face glowed when she came out of the sauna" Synonyms: glow, radiate, shine
	6.	beam - experience a feeling of well-being or happiness, as from good health or an intense emotion; "She was beaming with joy"; "Her face radiated with happiness" Synonyms: glow, radiate, shine

beam - [Star Trek Classic's "Beam me up, Scotty!"] To transfer softcopy of a file electronically; most often in combining forms such as "beam me a copy" or "beam that over to his site". Compare blast, snarf, BLT.

AM signal, CRT spot, DM display, Doppler signal, FM signal, H beam, I beam, IF signal, IF video signal, IM display, RF amplifier, RF echoes, RF signal, RF stage, TV band, X ray, abutment, actinic ray, actinism, amplitude, angle rafter, arc-boutant, atomic beam, atomic ray, audio signal, backside, balk, bank, bar, batten, be bright, be in heaven, be pleased, beacon, beam, beam of light, beat signal, bedazzle, beggar description, behind, billet, blaze, blind, blips, bloom, board, boarding, boom, border, bottom, bounce, bounces, box girder, brace, breadth, breakwater, breastsummer, bright smile, broad grin, broadcast, broadness, broadside, bulwark, burn, buttress, buttress pier, buttressing, can, cant hook, caper, caracole, cheek, chirp, chirrup, chop, clapboard, claw bar, coast, corbel, cord, cordwood, crack a smile, crank, crossbeam, crosstie, crow, crowbar, dance, daze, dazzle, deal, delight, derriere, die with delight, diffuse light, direct signal, display, distance across, double-dot display, driftwood, ear-to-ear grin, echo, echo signal, embankment, equalizing pulse, expanse, extent, fan marker, fanny, feel happy, firewood, flame, flank, flare, flare path, flash, flying buttress, footing beam, frolic, fulgurate, fullness, gambol, gamma ray, give light, glance, glare, gleaming smile, glint, glow, glowing smile, go into raptures, grin, grinning, groin, hammer beam, hand, handedness, handspike, hanging buttress, hardwood, haunch, hip, hip rafter, idiotic grin, incandesce, infrared ray, invisible radiation, iron crow, jam, jetty, jimmy, joist, jowl, joy, jutty, knock dead, laterality, lath, lathing, lathwork, latitude, lattice girder, laugh, leam, lever, lilt, limb, lintel, local oscillator signal, log, lumber, luster, many-sidedness, marker, marlinespike, mole, multilaterality, newscast, output pulse, output signal, outrigger, panelboard, paneling, panelwork, patch, peavey, pedal, pencil, photoemission, photon, picture, picture carrier, pier, pier buttress, pinch bar, pips, plank, planking, plate girder, plyboard, plywood, pole, post, posterior, prize, profile, pry, puncheon, purr, pylon, quarter, racon, radar beacon, radar signal, radiate, radiate cheer, radiation, radio, radio beacon, radio-frequency amplifier, radio-frequency signal, radio-frequency stage, radiobroadcast, radiorays, rafter, rampart, ray of light, reading, rear, reflected signal, reflection, retaining wall, return, return beam, return signal, ribbon, ribbon of light, ridge strut, ridgepole, ripping bar, romp, sardonic grin, scanning beam, seat, seawall, send, send out rays, shaft, shake, sheathing, sheathing board, sheeting, shine, shine brightly, shingle, shoot, shoot out rays, shore, shortwave, shortwave signal, shoulder, side, sideboard, siding, sign off, sign on, signal, signal display, sill, simper, sing, skip, slab, slat, sleeper, smile, smile brightly, smiling, smirk, softwood, solar rays, sound carrier, span, spar, sparkle, splat, sportscast, spot, spread, sprit, stave, stick, stick of wood, stovewood, streak, stream, stream of light, streamer, stringpiece, strut, stud, studding, stupid grin, summer, summertree, synchronizing signal, take great satisfaction, target image, television channel, temple, three-by-four, tie, tie beam, timber, timbering, timberwork, toothful grin, trace, transmit, transmitter signal, transom, transverse, trave, traverse, tread on air, treadle, trestle, truss, truss beam, two-by-four, ultraviolet ray, unidirectional signal, unilaterality, vertical synchronizing pulse, video signal, violet ray, voltage pulse, weatherboard, whistle, wideness, width, wind cone, wind indicator, wind sock, wireless, wood, wrecking bar

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