Beam

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Beam

(n.) Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use.
(n.) One of the principal horizontal timbers of a building or ship.
(n.) The width of a vessel; as, one vessel is said to have more beam than another.
(n.) The bar of a balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended.
(n.) The principal stem or horn of a stag or other deer, which bears the antlers, or branches.
(n.) The pole of a carriage.
(n.) 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.
(n.) The straight part or shank of an anchor.
(n.) 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.
(n.) 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.
(n.) A ray or collection of parallel rays emitted from the sun or other luminous body; as, a beam of light, or of heat.
(n.) Fig.: A ray; a gleam; as, a beam of comfort.
(n.) One of the long feathers in the wing of a hawk; -- called also beam feather.
(v. t.) To send forth; to emit; -- followed ordinarily by forth; as, to beam forth light.
(v. i.) To emit beams of light.