beam

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a long piece of heavy often squared timber suitable for use in construction
b
weaving : a wood or metal cylinder in a loom on which the warp (see warp entry 1 sense 1a) is wound
c
: the part of a plow to which handles, standard, and coulter are attached
d
: the bar of a balance from which scales hang
e
: one of the principal horizontal supporting members (as of a building or ship)
a steel beam supporting a floor
also : boom, spar
the beam of a crane
f
nautical : the extreme width of a ship at the widest part
g
engines : an oscillating lever on a central axis receiving motion at one end from an engine connecting rod and transmitting it at the other
2
a
: a ray or shaft of light
beams from the searchlights
b
: a collection of nearly parallel rays (such as X-rays) or a stream of particles (such as electrons)
c
: a constant directional radio signal transmitted for the guidance of pilots
also : the course indicated by a radio beam
3
: the main stem of a deer's antler
4
: the width of the buttocks
… immensely broad in the beamAnn Bridge

beam

2 of 2

verb

beamed; beaming; beams

transitive verb

1
: to emit in beams or as a beam (see beam entry 1 sense 2)
The sun beamed its light through the window.
2
: to support with beams (see beam entry 1 sense 1)
The house was beamed with heavy timbers.
3
a
: to transmit especially by satellite : broadcast
… the 90-minute show was beamed to more than 200 countries and territories around the world.TV Guide
b
: to transmit (data) electronically
beaming images of the planet back to Earth
The amount of data beamed over fiber-optic networks is rising exponentially every year, yet only 0.1% of fiber capacity is in use.Leslie Cauley
especially : to transmit (data) wirelessly
Infrared connectivity enables users to work collaboratively on documents without having to log on to the network, and for quickly "beaming" data between different devices (for example, between two notebooks, or between a notebook and a printer, without a need for a cable). Newsweek
c
: to direct to a particular audience
a commercial beamed at middle-class voters

intransitive verb

1
: to send out rays of light
Sunlight beamed through the window.
2
: to smile with joy
The bride was beaming.
Phrases
on the beam
1
: following a guiding beam
2
: proceeding or operating correctly

Examples of beam in a Sentence

Noun a bright beam of light We saw the beams from their flashlights. the building's steel support beams Verb She beamed as she told us the good news. They stood beaming with satisfaction. “We're getting married!” he beamed. The sun beamed its light through the window. Pictures of the distant planet were beamed back to the Earth.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Draped with hanging vines, pierced with sunlight beams from openings to the sky, and hushed with stony silence, these natural wonders are a must-visit in Tulum. Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2024 The trailer of the truck could be seen wedged against the beams of the bridge, stopping it from falling into the water below. Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News, 2 Mar. 2024 Clinical trials stand out amidst the bleak landscape of GBM treatment, where patients typically receive surgery, followed by a toxic and ultimately ineffective regimen of chemotherapy drugs and radiotherapy (i.e. beams of intense energy to kill cancer cells). Ourbrainbank, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Wood beams instantly add warmth, and will make any room feel cozy. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2024 Details include gorgeous wood beams in the great room, high-end cabinetry, floating wood shelves, a primary suite soaking tub, and a walk-in closet connecting to the laundry room. The Willows | A Covenant – Rodrock Homes Community, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2024 Lead vests could block the X-ray beam and prevent accurate imaging, which leads to more unnecessary X-rays. Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 12 Feb. 2024 Termites will start to burrow their way into the wooden beams. Rebecca Cairns, CNN, 12 Feb. 2024 That mantra swirls around his head like a lighthouse beam. Riley Robinson, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Feb. 2024
Verb
Kevin Costner is beaming with pride over his son Hayes' big-screen debut. Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 But even before Intuitive Machines' spacecraft made it to its destination, Odysseus was beaming back plenty of selfies showcasing astral vistas and even Earth itself. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2024 Amber Sanders looked around her new bathroom and beamed. Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Feb. 2024 Burrell beamed with pride, taking the step back to liken Little’s commitment this season to his perseverance in finishing the win. Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 8 Feb. 2024 On the pink carpet, Pearce, who worked as a musical cast member at Dollywood theme park in her teens, was beaming in anticipation of the opportunity to finally perform with her idol. Nancy Kruh, Peoplemag, 22 Feb. 2024 Everybody’s beaming, laughing, and singing about bananas; Bob Dylan looks briefly untortured; and Ray Charles jumps around with glee. Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2024 In front of an audience of Howard University students (despite their fickle energy levels), the rapper beamed with pride about both. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2024 The image was beamed back to Earth and processed by visual design student Simeon Schmauss, who stitched together the six raw NASA images into a panorama. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 7 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beam.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English beem, from Old English bēam tree, beam; akin to Old High German boum tree

Verb

Middle English bemen, verbal derivative of bem, beem beam entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of beam was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near beam

Cite this Entry

“Beam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beam. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

beam

1 of 2 noun
1
: a long heavy piece of timber or metal used especially as a main horizontal support of a building or ship
2
: the bar of a balance from which scales hang
3
: the width of a ship at its widest part
4
a
: a ray of light
b
: a collection of nearly parallel rays (as X-rays) or a stream of particles (as electrons)
5
: a constant radio signal sent out to guide pilots along a course

beam

2 of 2 verb
1
: to send out in beams or as a beam
2
: to send out beams of light : shine
3
: to smile with joy

Medical Definition

beam

noun
1
: a ray or shaft of light
2
: a collection of nearly parallel rays (as X-rays) or a stream of particles (as electrons)

More from Merriam-Webster on beam

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