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beam

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: beam

1	n	long thick piece of wood or metal or concrete, etc., used in construction
2	n v	a column of light (as from a beacon) emit light; be bright, as of the sun or a light
3	v	have a complexion with a strong bright color, such as red or pink
4	n	the broad side of a ship

FULL DEFINITIONS OF: beam

n long thick piece of wood or metal or concrete, etc., used in construction

Types:: show 23 types...; hide 23 types...; box beam, box girder
a beam built up from boards; has a hollow rectangular cross section; cantilever
projecting horizontal beam fixed at one end only; girder
a beam made usually of steel; a main support in a structure; header
a framing member crossing and supporting the ends of joists, studs, or rafters so as to transfer their weight to parallel joists, studs, or rafters; header, lintel
horizontal beam used as a finishing piece over a door or window; joist
beam used to support floors or roofs; keel
one of the main longitudinal beams (or plates) of the hull of a vessel; can extend vertically into the water to provide lateral stability; keelson
a longitudinal beam connected to the keel of ship to strengthen it; balk, baulk, rafter
one of several parallel sloping beams that support a roof; rider plate
a horizontal beam (or plate) connected to the top of a ship's vertical keel or to the keelson; ridge, ridgepole, rooftree
a beam laid along the edge where two sloping sides of a roof meet at the top; provides an attachment for the upper ends of rafters; shore, shoring
a beam or timber that is propped against a structure to provide support; tie, tie beam
a horizontal beam used to prevent two other structural members from spreading apart or separating; timber
a beam made of wood; crossbeam, crosspiece, trave, traverse
a horizontal beam that extends across something; bilge keel
either of two lengthwise fins attached along the outside of a ship's bilge; reduces rolling; coulisse
a timber member grooved to take a sliding panel; floor joist
joist that supports a floor; I-beam
girder having a cross section resembling the letter `I'; sternpost
(nautical) the principal upright timber at the stern of a vessel; stringer
a long horizontal timber to connect uprights; trimmer, trimmer joist
joist that receives the end of a header in floor or roof framing in order to leave an opening for a staircase or chimney etc.; two-by-four
a timber measuring (slightly under) 2 inches by 4 inches in cross section

Type of:: piece
a separate part of a whole; structural member
support that is a constituent part of any structure or building

n a gymnastic apparatus used by women gymnasts

Synonyms:: balance beam

Type of:: exerciser, gymnastic apparatus
sports equipment used in gymnastic exercises

n a column of light (as from a beacon)

Synonyms:: beam of light, irradiation, light beam, ray, ray of light, shaft, shaft of light

Types:: show 7 types...; hide 7 types...; heat ray
a ray that produces a thermal effect; high beam
the beam of a car's headlights that provides distant illumination; moon ray, moon-ray, moonbeam
a ray of moonlight; sunbeam, sunray
a ray of sunlight; laser beam
a beam of light generated by a laser; low beam
the beam of a car's headlights that provides illumination for a short distance; infrared ray
a ray of infrared radiation; produces a thermal effect (as from an infrared lamp)

Type of:: light, visible light, visible radiation
(physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation

n a group of nearly parallel lines of electromagnetic radiation

Synonyms:: electron beam, ray

Types:: cathode ray
a beam of electrons emitted by the cathode of an electrical discharge tube; particle beam
a collimated flow of particles (atoms or electrons or molecules); ion beam, ionic beam
a beam of ions moving in the same direction at the same speed

Type of:: electromagnetic radiation, electromagnetic wave, nonparticulate radiation
radiation consisting of waves of energy associated with electric and magnetic fields resulting from the acceleration of an electric charge

n a signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides airplane pilots in darkness or bad weather

Synonyms:: radio beam

Type of:: sign, signal, signaling
any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message

v emit light; be bright, as of the sun or a light

“The fire beamed on their faces”

Synonyms:: shine

Types:: show 12 types...; hide 12 types...; beat down
shine hard; beacon
shine like a beacon; glare
shine intensely; flame, flare
shine with a sudden light; outshine
shine brighter than; shimmer
shine with a weak or fitful light; flick, flicker
shine unsteadily; blaze
shine brightly and intensively; scintillate, twinkle, winkle
emit or reflect light in a flickering manner; burn, glow
shine intensely, as if with heat; beat
glare or strike with great intensity; gutter
burn unsteadily, feebly, or low; flicker

v broadcast over the airwaves, as in radio or television

Synonyms:: air, broadcast, send, transmit

Types:: show 6 types...; hide 6 types...; satellite
broadcast or disseminate via satellite; sportscast
broadcast a sports event; telecast, televise
broadcast via television; interrogate
transmit (a signal) for setting off an appropriate response, as in telecommunication; rebroadcast, rerun
broadcast again, as of a film; colorcast
broadcast in color

Type of:: air, bare, publicise, publicize
make public

v have a complexion with a strong bright color, such as red or pink

Synonyms:: glow, radiate, shine

Type of:: appear, look, seem
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

v experience a feeling of well-being or happiness, as from good health or an intense emotion

“She was beaming with joy”

Synonyms:: glow, radiate, shine

Type of:: experience, feel
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

v smile radiantly; express joy through one's facial expression

Type of:: smile
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure

v express with a beaming face or smile

“he beamed his approval”

Type of:: evince, express, show
give expression to

n the broad side of a ship

“they sighted land on the port beam”

Type of:: side
an extended outer surface of an object

n (nautical) breadth amidships

Type of:: breadth, width
the extent of something from side to side

Launch

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