beam1 nounbeam2 verb
beambeam1 /biːm/ ●●○ noun [countable] 
ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- a 55-ton concrete beam
- Maggie stumbled across the field with only a narrow beam of light from her flashlight to help her.
- We could see the beams of searchlights scanning the sky.
- Break the beam and it shoots you.
- He thought about hanging himself from the roof beam, but lacked the resolve.
- Her head hit the beam and she slid down and hit her shoulder.
- Q.. My ceiling has painted beams that intersect at several crossing points.
- The Commission will, of course, have a spy beam on our conversation.
- The following day Paula's body was found hanging from a beam in the garage.
- Using handholds in the wood to steady herself, she crept back along the beam, hauling Simon along with her.
Longman Language Activatorlight from the sun, a fire, an electric light etc► light
Collocations · Light was coming into the room through a crack in the door.· a gas lamp that gives as much light as a 100 watt bulbthe light (=the amount of natural light in a place) · The light was fading, and I was afraid we wouldn't be home before dark.good/strong/bright light · The light isn't good enough to take a photograph.poor/dim/fading light · In the fading light she could just make out the shape of a tractor.soft/warm light · The valley was bathed in the soft light of dawn.cold/harsh light · the cold blue light of the Arcticblinding/dazzling light (=very strong light that hurts your eyes) · a sudden flash of blinding lightby the light of the moon/the fire/a candle (=with only the moon etc to give light) · She sat reading by the light of the fire.
► it's light spoken use this to say that there is natural daylight, so that you can see easily enough to do something: · Let's go now while it's still light.· It's not light enough to play outside.
► daylight the natural light of day: in daylight: · I'd like to look at the house again in daylight.daylight hours (=the time when it is light): · The park is open during daylight hours.
► sunlight the light from the sun: · Her long blonde hair was shining in the sunlight.· We emerged from the dark forest into the sunlight. direct sunlight: · Keep the plant out of direct sunlight.
► moonlight the light from the moon: · The trees looked strangely white in the moonlight.· Moonlight came in through the curtains, lighting up the children's sleeping faces.
► glare a very bright and unpleasant light that makes you want to close your eyes or turn your head away: glare of: · the glare of the car's headlights· The heat and glare of the furnace is immense.
► glow a soft pleasant light, especially from something that is burning: · Candles give a warm glow to the room.glow of: · the orange glow of the sunset
► beam a line of light shining from something such as a lamp: · We could see the beams of searchlights scanning the sky.beam of light: · Maggie stumbled across the field with only a narrow beam of light from her flashlight to help her.
► ray a line of light, especially one shining from the sun: · Use a sunscreen to protect your skin against the sun's harmful rays.· The first rays of the sun pierced the canopy of leaves above us, and the forest began to wake up.
WORD SETS► Constructionadobe, nounasphalt, nounbatten, nounbeam, nounblueprint, nounboard, nounboom, nounbreeze-block, nounbrick, nounbricklayer, nounbrickwork, nounbucket, nounbuilder, nounbuilding contractor, nounbuilding site, nounbulldoze, verbbulldozer, nounbuttress, nouncaisson, nouncantilever, nouncastellated, adjectivecavity wall, nouncement, nouncement, verbconcrete, adjectiveconcrete, nounconcrete, verbconduit, nounconstruct, verbcrane, nouncrosspiece, noundaub, noundigger, noundowel, noundrain, noundrainage, noundraughtsman, noundry-stone wall, noundry wall, nounduckboards, noundustsheet, nounembankment, nounerect, verberection, nounfence, verbfencing, nounfiberboard, nounfibreboard, nounfloor plan, nounfoundation, noungantry, noungatepost, noungirder, noungreenfield site, nounhalf-timbered, adjectivehard hat, nounhod, nounhousing association, nounhousing project, nounjackhammer, nounjib, nounjoist, nounkeystone, nounlath, nounleading, nounmansard, nounmortar, nounpanelling, nounpanel pin, nounpave, verbpavement, nounpebbledash, nounpier, nounpile driver, nounplank, nounplanking, nounplaster, nounplaster, verbplasterboard, nounplasterer, nounplate glass, nounpoint, verbPortakabin, nounprime, verbprimer, nounproperty developer, nounputty, nounquantity surveyor, nounrebuild, verbreconstruct, verbreconstruction, nounrefurbish, verbreinforced concrete, nounrendering, nounrenovate, verbrevetment, nounroof, nounroof, verbroofing, nounrooftop, nounrubble, nounsand, verbsandstone, nounsaw, verbscaffold, nounscaffolding, nounshovel, nounsite, nounskip, nounslab, nounslate, nounspan, verbstarter home, nounsteam shovel, nounstilt, nounstucco, nounsurface, verbsuspension bridge, nounthatch, nounthatched, adjectivetile, nountile, verbtiling, nountimber, nountopcoat, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► a beam/ray/shaft of light
Phrases (=a thin line of light)· There was a shaft of light from the doorway.
► a beaming/radiant smile (=when you are very happy)· ‘I’m so pleased,’ she told him with a beaming smile.
► a shaft/ray/beam of sunlight· A shaft of sunlight illuminated the left side of his face.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE► low· The low beams of a car flickered as it curved the bend in the road.· His silks, his plaited hair, his very foreign-ness seemed out of place amongst the low oak beams and sturdy yeoman furniture.· Corbett, unused to the gentle rocking of the ship and the low beams, banged his head as he straightened up.
► main· At one curve in the road the driver stopped and flashed his main beams.· Between the main beams, lengths of steel decking are laid side by side, each hooking into its neighbor.· At this point, the outer edge of the box will simply be resting on the main beam.
► narrow· Sam Oglethorpe's narrow beam of light showed it to be swinging open.· Unless the narrow pencil beam was pointed precisely at Earth, they could neither receive nor transmit.· The positive ions are accelerated to a narrow beam by the use of negative plates and a high voltage.· The torch is switched on by twisting the head and you can choose between either a narrow or wide beam.
► old· There are many fine old beams.· Problem: Thirdfloor rear walls in old rowhouses often are masonry supported only by an old wood beam at the level below.· A typical students' pub, full of old beams and smoke and noise.· The Jolly Judge has some interesting old beams and painted murals.· Cream, maybe ... magnolia; go better with the old beams.· Sandy was suspended by a rope attached to an old beam next to the ladder leading to the tower.· In the new pine kitchen, old beams are still very much at home.· Inside there are old beams, inglenook fireplaces, oriental carpets and a warm and friendly ambience.
► wooden· The roofs are flat, fully exposed to the rain, made by packing mud on wooden reeds resting on wooden beams.· Before the coarse brown fabric hung an austere gibbet, constructed of two weathered wooden beams.· All the tables and chairs are of solid dark wood to match the dark stained original wooden beams of the mill.· It was made of corrugated metal and wooden beams and had scores of windows that could be broken but not shattered.· The wooden beams and ceiling were crackling in the extreme heat.· The warehouses are built of stone and have wooden beam hoists on the gable walls.· Beam fire: A wooden beam in a chimney caught fire at a house in Darlington Road, Northallerton.· Their nest is in the wooden beams, some 15 feet above the floor.
NOUN► electron· Alternatively, electron beam machines are used.· Fire a high energy electron beam at a metal target and bremsstrahlung effect produces intense X-rays.· A basic example occurs in an electron beam - so important in television and radio.· The device is fabricated in Gallium Arsenide using electron beam lithography to define special side-gated channels.
► engine· At Wanlockhead, to the south, the Straitsteps mine remains include a primitive water-powered beam engine for draining the mine.· Murdock's sun and planet gear to obtain rotary motion from Watt's beam engines.· He invented the Cornish engine, a beam engine of Brobdingnagian proportions used mainly for pumping water out of tin mines.· Five pairs of nineteenth-century fulling stocks are preserved here, as well as the eighteen-foot breastshot waterwheel and a rotative beam engine.· An 1840 Cornish beam engine remains at the Levant mine, and is preserved by the National Trust.
► laser· Its motion can be detected - for example, by deflecting a laser beam that bounces off a mirror attached to the needle.· Even in a stream of traffic the laser beam can isolate the offending vehicles with an accurate read out of speed and range.· For obvious reasons, laser beams or submerged fluorescent wires can not be used to mark the start line.· Calibration is done insitu using a chopped laser beam to provide a known heat increment.· Stereolithography works by steering laser beams through a photosensitive liquid that solidifies when it is exposed to enough light.· In this technique atoms have their velocities reduced by running head-on into a laser beam tuned to their transition frequency.· The encoding is done by a fine laser beam burning a series of microscopic pits into the disc surface.
► steel· A framework of steel beams supports the concrete slab floor plates.· And now the hospital bill hovered overhead too, yet one more steel beam threatening to bring them all down.
► torch· Down below, he could see the single torch beam which illuminated Devlin, the girl and Gilbert.· They gazed into my torch beam like cons caught in razor wire.· Caught in the torch beam were a pair of eyes, glittering ebony pupils widening in shock.· Bernice ran forward into the darkness, her torch beam bobbing in front of her.· He swept the torch beam round the short passage and saw the two cell doors on his left were ajar.· Something scuttled out of the torch beam, hopping across the ceiling lathes into the shadows.
VERB► produce· The launcher for the medium-range version will incorporate a projector that produces a beam of infrared radiation.· It is also produced by the projector beam in a smoky cinema.
► shine· Darken the room. Shine the flashlight beam at the bowl.
► support· A girder is a beam that supports other beams or is made up of separate beams joined together.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► broad in the beam► on full beam► supporting wall/beam etc
1 a)a line of light shining from the sun, a lamp etc: - The roof was in an appalling state and the supporting beams were rotten.
- There was a portico, generally of wood, with posts supporting beams, and decoration was in terracotta.
the beam of a powerful flashlight b)a line of light, energy etc that you cannot see: a laser beam2a long heavy piece of wood or metal used in building houses, bridges etc3a wide happy smile: a beam of delight4off beam British English informal incorrect or mistaken: Our guesses were way off beam.5a balance beam6 technical the widest part of a ship from side to side → broad in the beam at broad1(1)beam1 nounbeam2 verb
beambeam2 ●○○ verb Verb TableVERB TABLE
beam
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | beam |
| he, she, it | beams | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | beamed |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have beamed |
| he, she, it | has beamed | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had beamed |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will beam |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have beamed |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am beaming |
| he, she, it | is beaming | |
| you, we, they | are beaming | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was beaming |
| you, we, they | were beaming | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been beaming |
| he, she, it | has been beaming | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been beaming |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be beaming |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been beaming |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- Beam me out of here!
- After the song was over, Miss Timms beamed at the class.
- At the celebration, he beamed proudly.
- Daddy sat in the first pew, beaming with pride.
- Her parents stood there beaming as she went up to receive the prize.
- Just a short time before, they had been beaming with optimism.
- The images are beamed directly from a satellite.
- The water sparkled and the sun beamed brightly.
- Even Sabina was pleased, and Gabby was beaming.
- Farther down the line, 13-year-old Anne Fischer of Northridge beamed with excitement.
- Once we have landed on Mars we will be able to beam it to the galaxy, he said.
- Ralph nodded, beamed, situated his hat.
- The curtains opened again and Uncle Philip stood next to his doll, beaming proudly.
- The fans cheered, and the athletes beamed.
- They mug for cameras, hug their parents, and beam with pride.
Longman Language Activatorto smile► smile
Collocations to make your mouth curve upwards, as a sign that you are happy or amused or that you want to be friendly: · She smiled and said, "Good morning.''· Kathy couldn't help smiling as the children came back into the room.· 'Stop worrying, you look very nice,' she smiled reassuringly. (=said with a smile)· My father rarely smiled.smile at: · The twins turned and smiled at each other, sharing a private joke.· He winked, and she smiled back at him.smile broadly (=smile with your mouth very wide): · She smiled broadly when her name was called.make somebody smile: · He can make people smile just by walking into a room.
► grin to give a big happy smile: · Grinning shyly, he offered her a drink.· 'I've been a complete idiot', grinned Ian. (=said with a grin)grin broadly (=grin with your mouth very wide): · She sat back down again, grinning broadly.grin at: · She kept grinning at me as if we were old friends.grin from ear to ear informal (=to grin a lot because you are very happy): · She was holding the baby, and grinning from ear to ear.
► beam to smile for a long time, especially because you are very pleased about or proud of something or someone: · Her parents stood there beaming as she went up to receive the prize.beam at: · After the song was over, Miss Timms beamed at the class.beam with pleasure/pride etc: · Daddy sat in the first pew, beaming with pride.· Just a short time before, they had been beaming with optimism.
► somebody's face lights up if someone's face lights up , they suddenly look happy, for example because they have received some good news: · He gave her the letter and watched as her face lit up.· The moment she walked into the room, Bob's face lit up.
► break into a smile/grin to suddenly start smiling: · All at once she broke into a smile as she remembered what had happened.· She broke into a grin, and started to run towards me.· "We're going to have a visitor,'' said her mother, and Anna's face broke into a smile at the thought.
► be all smiles to be very happy, smile a lot, and be friendly toward other people, especially because a situation is the way you want it: · I don't understand it -- he was all smiles this morning and now he won't talk to me.
► force a smile to try hard to smile when you do not feel happy: · "I'm getting married,'' he said. Somehow I managed to force a smile.· Alice forced a smile, hoping it looked natural.
WORD SETS► Broadcastingaerial, nounairtime, nounAM, nounantenna, nounatmospherics, nounaudio, adjectiveband, nounBBC, the, beacon, nounbeam, verbBeeb, the, bleep, verbboom, nounboom box, nounBritish Broadcasting Corporation, nounbroadband, nounbroadcast, nounbroadcast, verbcable television, CB, nounCCTV, nounCeefax, nounchannel, nounclosed circuit television, nouncommunications satellite, nouncontrast, noundial, nounDJ, nounexposure, nounflash, verbFM, nounfrequency, nounham, nounHz, interference, nounjam, verbkHz, kilohertz, nounlinkup, nounlive, adjectivelocal radio, nounlong wave, nounloudspeaker, nounLW, mast, nounmedium wave, nounmegahertz, nounMHz, modulate, verbmonitor, nounmono, nounmono, adjectiveNBC, nounnetwork, nounnetwork, verbon-air, adjectiveover, prepositionpresenter, nounprogramming, nounquadraphonic, adjectiveradio, nounradio, verbreceive, verbreceiver, nounreception, nounrepeat, verbrepeat, nounrerun, nounrerun, verbroger, interjectionsatellite, nounsatellite dish, nounsatellite television, nounsaturation, nounscrambler, nounseries, nounset, nounshipping forecast, nounship-to-shore, adjectiveshort wave, nounsignal, nounsignature tune, nounsimulcast, verbSOS, nounsound, nounsound bite, nounsound check, nounstatic, nountelecast, nounTeletext, nountelevise, verbtelevision, nountelevision licence, nountelly, nountime signal, nountrack, verbtransistor, nountransistor radio, nountransmission, nountransmit, verbtransmitter, nountune, verbtuner, nountweeter, nountwo-way, adjectiveUHF, noununscramble, verbveejay, nounvideo, nounvideo, adjectivevideo jockey, nounvolume, nounwaveband, nounwavelength, nounwhite noise, nounwireless, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► a beam/ray/shaft of light
Phrases (=a thin line of light)· There was a shaft of light from the doorway.
► a beaming/radiant smile (=when you are very happy)· ‘I’m so pleased,’ she told him with a beaming smile.
► a shaft/ray/beam of sunlight· A shaft of sunlight illuminated the left side of his face.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN► face· Then Shaaban arrived - strongly built, short in height, his dark flat-featured face beaming with pleasure.· Miss Sadie paused for a moment, her face beaming, and looked around the room.· Three faces lit up, beaming in upon what they thought was a crucial fact.
► pleasure· Kirov ran across the room, beaming with pleasure.· I tried the new version, and Loi beamed with pleasure.· Then Shaaban arrived - strongly built, short in height, his dark flat-featured face beaming with pleasure.· He beamed with pleasure at her attention and, hoping Harry would notice, Cora-Beth began flirting with him.· BDe Mori beams with pleasure and shakes hands all around.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► broad in the beam► on full beam► supporting wall/beam etc
1[intransitive] to smile very happily: - The roof was in an appalling state and the supporting beams were rotten.
- There was a portico, generally of wood, with posts supporting beams, and decoration was in terracotta.
Sherman looked at his sons and beamed proudly.beam with Connie beamed with pleasure.beam at McLeish beamed at her.2[transitive always + adverb/preposition] to send a radio or television signal through the air, especially to somewhere very distant: the first sports broadcast to be beamed across the Atlantic3[intransitive, transitive] to send out a line of light, heat, energy etc: The sun beamed through the clouds.