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BEAM
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I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
A gymnastic apparatus used by women gymnasts
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("beam" is a kind of...):
exerciser; gymnastic apparatus (sports equipment used in gymnastic exercises)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Long thick piece of wood or metal or concrete, etc., used in construction
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("beam" is a kind of...):
structural member (support that is a constituent part of any structure or building)
piece (a separate part of a whole)
Meronyms (substance of "beam"):
wood (the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "beam"):
crossbeam; crosspiece; trave; traverse (a horizontal beam that extends across something)
timber (a beam made of wood)
tie; tie beam (a horizontal beam used to prevent two other structural members from spreading apart or separating)
shore; shoring (a beam or timber that is propped against a structure to provide support)
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)
rider plate (a horizontal beam (or plate) connected to the top of a ship's vertical keel or to the keelson)
balk; baulk; rafter (one of several parallel sloping beams that support a roof)
keelson (a longitudinal beam connected to the keel of ship to strengthen it)
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)
joist (beam used to support floors or roofs)
header; lintel (horizontal beam used as a finishing piece over a door or window)
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)
girder (a beam made usually of steel; a main support in a structure)
cantilever (projecting horizontal beam fixed at one end only)
box beam; box girder (a beam built up from boards; has a hollow rectangular cross section)
Sense 3
Meaning:
The broad side of a ship
Example:
they sighted land on the port beam
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("beam" is a kind of...):
side (an extended outer surface of an object)
Sense 4
Meaning:
(nautical) breadth amidships
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Hypernyms ("beam" is a kind of...):
breadth; width (the extent of something from side to side)
Domain category:
ship (a vessel that carries passengers or freight)
Derivation:
beamy (broad in the beam)
Sense 5
Meaning:
A signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides airplane pilots in darkness or bad weather
Synonyms:
beam; radio beam
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Hypernyms ("beam" is a kind of...):
sign; signal; signaling (any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message)
Derivation:
beam (broadcast over the airwaves, as in radio or television)
Sense 6
Meaning:
A column of light (as from a beacon)
Synonyms:
beam; beam of light; irradiation; light beam; ray; ray of light; shaft; shaft of light
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural phenomena
Hypernyms ("beam" is a kind of...):
light; visible light; visible radiation ((physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "beam"):
low beam (the beam of a car's headlights that provides illumination for a short distance)
laser beam (a beam of light generated by a laser)
sunbeam; sunray (a ray of sunlight)
moon-ray; moon ray; moonbeam (a ray of moonlight)
high beam (the beam of a car's headlights that provides distant illumination)
heat ray (a ray that produces a thermal effect)
Derivation:
beam (emit light; be bright, as of the sun or a light)
beamy (radiating or as if radiating light)
Sense 7
Meaning:
A group of nearly parallel lines of electromagnetic radiation
Synonyms:
beam; electron beam; ray
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural phenomena
Hypernyms ("beam" is a kind 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)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "beam"):
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))
II. (verb)
Verb forms
Present simple: I / you / we / they beam ... he / she / it beams
Past simple: beamed
Past participle: beamed
-ing form: beaming
Sense 1
Meaning:
Smile radiantly; express joy through one's facial expression
Classified under:
Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care
Hypernyms (to "beam" is one way to...):
smile (change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s
Sense 2
Meaning:
Broadcast over the airwaves, as in radio or television
Example:
We cannot air this X-rated song
Synonyms:
air; beam; broadcast; send; transmit
Classified under:
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing
Hypernyms (to "beam" is one way to...):
air; bare; publicise; publicize (make public)
Cause:
air (be broadcast)
Domain category:
broadcast medium; broadcasting (a medium that disseminates via telecommunications)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "beam"):
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)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP
Derivation:
beam (a signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides airplane pilots in darkness or bad weather)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Express with a beaming face or smile
Example:
he beamed his approval
Classified under:
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing
Hypernyms (to "beam" is one way to...):
evince; express; show (give expression to)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something to somebody
Sense 4
Meaning:
Experience a feeling of well-being or happiness, as from good health or an intense emotion
Example:
Her face radiated with happiness
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Hypernyms (to "beam" is one way to...):
experience; feel (undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s
Sense 5
Meaning:
Have a complexion with a strong bright color, such as red or pink
Example:
Her face glowed when she came out of the sauna
Synonyms:
beam; glow; radiate; shine
Classified under:
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling
Hypernyms (to "beam" is one way to...):
appear; look; seem (give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Sense 6
Meaning:
Emit light; be bright, as of the sun or a light
Example:
The fire beamed on their faces
Synonyms:
beam; shine
Classified under:
Verbs of raining, snowing, thawing, thundering
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "beam"):
burn; glow (shine intensely, as if with heat)
scintillate; twinkle; winkle (emit or reflect light in a flickering manner)
blaze (shine brightly and intensively)
flick; flicker (shine unsteadily)
shimmer (shine with a weak or fitful light)
outshine (shine brighter than)
flame; flare (shine with a sudden light)
glare (shine intensely)
beacon (shine like a beacon)
beat down (shine hard)
Sentence frame:
Something ----s
Sentence examples:
Lights beam on the horizon
The horizon is beaming with lights
Derivation:
beam (a column of light (as from a beacon))
Context examples:
As planned, data from eight of Cassini's science instruments was beamed back to Earth.
(Cassini Spacecraft Ends Its Historic Exploration of Saturn, NASA)
The fast-moving particles then interact with the magnetic fields to produce the powerful beams of high-energy gamma rays and X-rays.
(Pulse of a Dead Star Powers Intense Gamma Rays, NASA)
In the case of Sharpless 2-54, British astronomer William Herschel initially noticed its beaming star cluster in 1784.
(VST Captures Three-In-One, ESO)
In the lab, the group used infrared laser beam pulses to simulate the high-energy shockwaves created by asteroids slamming into the atmosphere.
(Asteroids, Hydrogen Make Great Recipe for Life on Mars, NASA)
An artifact resulting from absorpsion of lower energy photons as the beam penetrates through a tissue.
(Beam Hardening Artifact, NCI Thesaurus)
An optical device designed to take an electromagnetic beam and separate it into two or more parts.
(Beam Splitter Device Component, NCI Thesaurus)
The acquisition of images of an anatomic area that is being irradiated using radiotherapy beams and films as imaging media.
(Film Portal Imaging, NCI Thesaurus)
Cone beam computed tomography that includes megavoltage images.
(Megavoltage Cone Beam Computed Tomography, NCI Thesaurus)
A static light scattering technique involving measurement of the amount of light scattered by a suspension at multiple angles relative to the incident laser beam.
(Multi-Angle Laser Light Scattering, NCI Thesaurus)
Radiation therapy in which high-energy beams are delivered to the tumor from outside of the body.
(External Beam Radiation Therapy, NCI Thesaurus)
