beam
Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use.
Noun 4 meanings
Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use.
One of the principal horizontal structural members, usually of steel, timber, or concrete, of a building.
One of the transverse members of a ship's frame on which the decks are laid, and acting as part of the support for keeping the sides of the vessel in shape — supported at the sides by knees in wooden ships and by stringers in steel ones; cf. abeam, beam-ends.
The maximum width of a vessel (note that a vessel with a beam of 15 foot can also be said to be 15 foot abeam).
“This ship has more beam than that one.”
Verb 4 meanings
To emit beams of light; to shine; to radiate.
“to beam forth light”
To smile broadly or especially cheerfully.
“to beam with pride”
To furnish or supply with beams.
To give the appearance of beams to.
Etymology
From Middle English bem, beem, from Old English bēam (“tree, cross, gallows, column, pillar, wood, beam, splint, post, stock, rafter, piece of wood”), from Proto-West Germanic *baum, from Proto-Germanic *baumaz (“tree, beam, balk”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰew- (“to grow, swell”).
Similar and opposite words
BEAM at a glance
BEAM has 4 letters and scores 8 points in Scrabble (B 3 + E 1 + A 1 + M 3) and 10 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #5,562 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with beam
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