beam
beam — noun
- beamsingular
- beamsplural
1. a narrow band of light coming from the sun, a lamp, or another bright thing
a narrow band of light coming from the sun, a lamp, or another bright thing
A beam of sunlight fell across the kitchen floor at breakfast.
beam of + light source
One beam from the lighthouse cut through the fog before dawn.
beam from + object
The torch sent a thin beam onto the cave wall.
Through the curtains, a pale beam touched Emma's pillow.
- beam of sunlight
- beam of light
- thin beam
- pale beam
Grammar Patterns
a beam of light
a beam from something
Usage Note
Usually appears in patterns such as beam of light or beam from a lamp, torch, or window. Distinguish from sense 2, which is mainly used for scientific radiation or particle flow rather than ordinary visible light.
Common Mistakes
2. a flow of energy or tiny particles moving together in one direction
a flow of energy or tiny particles moving together in one direction
The doctor aimed the X-ray beam at Noah's broken wrist.
X-ray beam
Inside the lab, a narrow electron beam hit the metal plate.
electron beam
The scanner uses a moving beam to read each printed line.
During the test, engineers kept the laser beam steady on the sensor.
laser beam + steady on the sensor
- X-ray beam
- electron beam
- steady beam
- beam strength
Grammar Patterns
an X-ray beam
an electron beam
Usage Note
Often follows a type word such as X-ray, laser, or electron. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is common in science and medicine, even when nothing can be seen by the eye.
Common Mistakes
3. a long heavy bar of wood, steel, or concrete that supports weight in a roof, flo
a long heavy bar of wood, steel, or concrete that supports weight in a roof, floor, or bridge
Workers lifted the steel beam into place above the new shop.
steel beam
One cracked beam made the old barn roof unsafe.
roof beam
Concrete beams support the road over the river.
During repairs, the crew replaced two rotten beams in the ceiling.
- steel beam
- wooden beam
- support beam
- roof beam
- girder
more technical and especially common for large steel supports
- support beam
a fuller phrase with nearly the same meaning
- joist
usually a smaller supporting piece in floors or ceilings
Grammar Patterns
a steel beam
a roof beam
Usage Note
Most often modified by material or position, as in steel beam, roof beam, or ceiling beam. Distinguish from sense 4, which is the sports apparatus and event.
Common Mistakes
4. the narrow wooden bar used for balance routines in women's gymnastics, or the ev
the narrow wooden bar used for balance routines in women's gymnastics, or the event performed on it
Sofia kept her arms wide as she stepped onto the beam.
step onto the beam
The judge took points off when Mia slipped on the beam.
on the beam
After school, the gymnasts practiced turns and jumps on the beam.
At the meet, Lily won silver on beam after a clean routine.
competition: on beam
- balance on the beam
- beam routine
- step onto the beam
- win on beam
- balance beam
the full name of the apparatus
- beam event
refers especially to the competition rather than the wooden bar itself
Grammar Patterns
on the beam
step onto the beam
Usage Note
Often used with on in sports reports and coaching talk, as in win on beam or fall on the beam. Distinguish from sense 3, which refers to a building support rather than a gymnastics event or apparatus.
Common Mistakes
off beam
idiomNot accurate or correct in a particular situation.
Mina's guess about the test results was completely off beam.
Is my estimate off beam, or did we actually lose money?
beam — verb
- beampresent simple I / you / we / they
- beams3rd person singular
- beaming-ing form
- beamedpast simple
1. to smile in a very open, happy way
to smile in a very open, happy way
When Leo saw the surprise cake, he beamed at his sister.
beam at somebody
'You did it,' Coach Rivera beamed after the final race.
beam + direct speech
Priya beamed with pride as her son waved from the stage.
beam with pride
At the airport gate, both grandparents beamed at the camera.
- beam at somebody
- beam with pride
- beam happily
- beam a greeting
Grammar Patterns
beam at somebody
beam with pride
beam + direct speech
Usage Note
Often followed by at + person or thing, or with + noun such as pride or delight. This is also the only sense here that can introduce direct speech to show the manner of smiling.
Common Mistakes
2. to send out light, radio waves, pictures, or other signals in a directed line
to send out light, radio waves, pictures, or other signals in a directed line
The dish on the roof beamed the game to village homes.
beam something to somebody
The rover beamed fresh photos back to Earth before dawn.
beam something back
From the hill, the radio tower beamed signals across the valley.
beam signals across + place
At night, the searchlight beamed across the harbor entrance.
intransitive: beam across + place
- beam a signal
- beam light across
- beam something back
- beam something to somebody
Grammar Patterns
beam something to somebody
beam something back
beam across something
Usage Note
The object is usually light, pictures, data, or signals, and the destination often appears with to, back to, or across. Distinguish from verb sense 1, which is about a happy facial expression rather than transmission.
Common Mistakes
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
For noun sense 1, beam is a neutral word for a narrow line of light traveling from a source toward something. Ray is very close, but it often sounds slightly more scientific or literary, especially with the sun, heat, or X-rays. Shaft usually suggests a stronger visible column of light coming through an opening, such as a window or a hole in a roof. Streak is different because it often describes a thin or brief line of light across a surface, not a steady directed source. You can speak of a beam from a torch, a ray from the sun, or a shaft of light through the clouds. At sunrise, several golden rays spread wider than one beam.
Etymology
Beam comes from Old English beam, which first meant a tree, trunk, or piece of timber. From that idea of a long straight piece of wood, English developed the building sense, and later extended the word to other long straight lines, including a ray of light.