What is "beam"

Beam \Beam\ (b[=e]m), n. [AS. be['a]m beam, post, tree, ray of light; akin to OFries. b[=a]m tree, OS. b[=o]m, D. boom, OHG. boum, poum, G. baum, Icel. ba[eth]mr, Goth. bagms and Gr. fy^ma a growth, fy^nai to become, to be. Cf. L. radius staff, rod, spoke of a wheel, beam or ray, and G. strahl arrow, spoke of a wheel, ray or beam, flash of lightning. [root]97. See Be; cf. Boom a spar.]

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. [Poetic]
   --Dryden.

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. (Fig.): 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.

Beam \Beam\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beamed (b[=e]md); p. pr. & vb. n. Beaming.] To send forth; to emit; -- followed ordinarily by forth; as, to beam forth light.

Beam \Beam\, v. i. To emit beams of light.

He beamed, the daystar of the rising age.
--Trumbull.

"emit rays of light," early 15c., from beam (n.) in the "ray of light" sense. Sense of "to smile radiantly" is from 1804; that of "to direct radio transmissions" is from 1927. Related: Beamed; beaming.

Old English beam originally "living tree," but by late 10c. also "rafter, post, ship's timber," from Proto-Germanic *baumaz (cognates: Old Norse baðmr, Old Frisian bam "tree, gallows, beam," Middle Dutch boom, Old High German boum, German Baum "tree," Gothic bagms), perhaps from PIE verb root *bheue- "to grow" (see be). The shift from *-au- to -ea- is regular in Old English.\n

\nMeaning "ray of light" developed in Old English, probably because it was used by Bede to render Latin columna lucis, the Biblical "pillar of fire." Nautical sense of "one of the horizontal transverse timbers holding a ship together" is from early 13c., hence "greatest breadth of a ship," and slang broad in the beam "wide-hipped" (of persons). To be on the beam (1941) was originally an aviator's term for "to follow the course indicated by a radio 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; one of the transverse members of a ship's frame on which the decks are laid - supported at the sides by knees in wooden ships and by stringers in steel ones. 3 (context nautical English) The maximum width of a vessel 4 The crossbar of a mechanical balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended. 5 The principal stem of the antler of a deer. 6 (context literary English) The pole of a carriage.(rfc-sense) 7 (context textiles English) A cylinder of wood, making part of a loom, on which weavers wind the warp before weaving and the cylinder on which the cloth is rolled, as it is woven. 8 The straight part or shank of an anchor. 9 The central bar 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 In steam engines, 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. 11 A ray or collection of approximatelyly parallel rays emitted from the sun or other luminous body vb. 1 (context ambitransitive English) To emit beams of light; shine; radiate. 2 (context intransitive figuratively English) To smile broadly or especially cheerfully. 3 (context transitive English) To furnish or supply with beams; give the appearance of beams to. 4 (context transitive science fiction English) To transmit matter or information via a high-tech wireless mechanism. 5 (context transitive currying English) To stretch on a beam, as a hide. 6 (context transitive weaving English) To put on a beam, as a chain or web. 7 (context transitive music English) To connect (musical notes) with a beam, or thick line, in music notation.

1. n. a signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides pilots in darkness or bad weather [syn: radio beam]

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

3. a column of light (as from a beacon) [syn: beam of light, light beam, ray, ray of light, shaft, shaft of light, irradiation]

4. a group of nearly parallel lines of electromagnetic radiation [syn: ray, electron beam]

5. (nautical) breadth amidships

6. a gymnastic apparatus used by women gymnasts [syn: balance beam]

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

2. emit light; be bright, as of the sun or a light; "The sun shone bright that day"; "The fire beamed on their faces" [syn: shine]

3. express with a beaming face or smile; "he beamed his approval"

4. broadcast over the airwaves, as in radio or television; "We cannot air this X-rated song" [syn: air, send, broadcast, transmit]

5. especially of the complexion: show a strong bright color, such as red or pink; "Her face glowed when she came out of the sauna" [syn: glow, radiate, shine]

6. 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" [syn: glow, radiate, shine]

In musical notation, a beam is a horizontal or diagonal line used to connect multiple consecutive notes (and occasionally rests) in order to indicate rhythmic grouping. Only eighth notes (quavers) or shorter can be beamed. The number of beams is equal to the number of flags that would be present on an un-beamed note.

Beam may refer to:

• Beam (structure), a structural element
• Beam (nautical), the most extreme width (or breadth) of a nautical vessel, or a point alongside the ship at the midpoint of its length
• A narrow, propagating stream of particles or energy:
  • Bessel beam
  • Gaussian beam
  • Light beam
    • Laser beam
  • Particle beam
    • Charged particle beam
      • Cathode ray, or "electron beam"
    • Molecular beam
• Beam antenna
• Beam Inc., a spirits company
• Beam (music), a connection line in musical notation
• Balance beam, a piece of gymnastics equipment
• BEAM robotics, an automatically moving machine based on analog electronics
• Beam search, a search algorithm
• Beam Software, a computer game developer
• Beam, Great Torrington, an estate in Devon, England

A beam is a structural element that is capable of withstanding load primarily by resisting against bending. The bending force induced into the material of the beam as a result of the external loads, own weight, span and external reactions to these loads is called a bending moment. Beams are characterized by their profile (shape of cross-section), their length, and their material.

Beams are traditionally descriptions of building or civil engineering structural elements, but smaller structures such as truck or automobile frames, machine frames, and other mechanical or structural systems contain beam structures that are designed and analyzed in a similar fashion.

The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point as measured at the ship's nominal waterline. The beam is a bearing projected at right-angles from the fore and aft line, outwards from the widest part of ship. Beam may also be used to define the maximum width of a ship's hull, or maximum width plus superstructure overhangs.

Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship (or boat), the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position.

Beam (stylized as BEAM) is the fourth full-length studio album by Japanese singer-lyricist Meg, released on December 5, 2007 in Japan by Universal J. The album is produced by Capsule member Yasutaka Nakata of Perfume fame and is her first album under Universal Music. The album also is simultaneously released with Nakata's other effort with Capsule, Flash Back. The album debuted at number 24 in the Oricon Weekly Charts, selling 10,544 units on its first week of release. Beam was also released in Taiwan on January 4, 2008, and is her only album released in the country.

The album spans two singles: the independent limited release of "Amai Zeitaku" under Meg's now defunct label, Shampoo Nine records, and "OK", her debut single under Universal Music. Beam is Meg's second highest-selling album according to Oricon.