Definitions
01a line of light
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Physics
n. a long, thin line of light coming from a source like the sun, a lamp, or a flashlight.
n. a concentrated stream of electromagnetic radiation or light particles travelling in a specific direction.
Español:radio
“The beam from his flashlight cut through the dark woods.”
“A narrow beam of sunlight filtered through the high cathedral windows, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air.”
02structural support
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a long, thick piece of wood, metal, or concrete used to support the weight of a building or bridge.
n. a primary horizontal structural member designed to span an opening and carry a load.
“The workers lifted the steel beam into place to support the new roof.”
“The renovation revealed original oak beams that had supported the ceiling for over three centuries.”
03a wide smile
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Literary
n. a very big, happy, and bright smile.
n. a radiant or expansive facial expression indicating intense satisfaction or joy.
“She had a huge beam on her face when she saw her surprise gift.”
“The winner stood on the podium with a triumphant beam that reflected her immense relief and pride.”
Antonyms
04width of a ship
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Nautical Technical
n. the width of a ship at its widest point.
n. the maximum breadth of a vessel; also used to describe a direction perpendicular to the ship's centerline.
“The new cruise ship has a beam of over forty metres.”
“The vessel's wide beam provides excellent stability in rough seas but limits the number of ports it can enter.”
05to smile happily
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to smile very happily or proudly at someone.
v. to express great joy or pride through a radiant facial expression; often takes the preposition 'at'.
“The proud parents beamed at their daughter during the graduation ceremony.”
“The director beamed with satisfaction as the audience rose for a standing ovation at the end of the premiere.”
Antonyms
06to broadcast
B2 · Upper Intermediate Computing
v. to send out light, heat, or a radio or television signal.
v. to transmit a signal, programme, or energy in a specific direction via radio waves or light.
“The satellite beams television signals to millions of homes around the world.”
“Live footage of the event was beamed across the globe via a high-speed satellite link.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “beam” in context.
Verb
01. break the beam
“The alarm will sound the moment an intruder breaks the infrared beam.”
verb + noun
02. emit a beam
“The lighthouse continues to emit a powerful beam every ten seconds.”
verb + noun
03. support the beam
“Two heavy pillars were installed to support the beam across the ceiling.”
verb + noun
Adjective
04. concentrated beam
“The laser emits a highly concentrated beam of light that can cut through steel.”
adj + noun
05. radiant beam
“She greeted her old friend with a radiant beam of joy.”
adj + noun
06. structural beam
“The architect insisted on reinforcing the main structural beam to support the new roof.”
adj + noun
Noun
07. beam of light
“A single beam of light filtered through the cracks in the shutters.”
noun + of + noun
08. beam of satisfaction
“A broad beam of satisfaction spread across his face when he saw the results.”
noun + of + noun
Real-World Examples
“The obvious assumption is that drivers are simply leaving their high beams on more often, but the reality is more complicated.” “In this experiment, however, the moving beam consists of electrons.” Etymology
From Middle English 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”). Cognate with North Frisian Boom, buum (“tree”), Saterland Frisian Boom (“tree”), West Frisian beam (“tree”), Cimbrian pome, póom, puam (“tree”), Dutch boom (“tree”), German Low German Boom (“tree”), German Baum (“tree”), Luxembourgish Bam (“tree”), Mòcheno pa'm (“tree”), Vilamovian baojm (“tree”), Yiddish בוים (boym, “tree”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Swedish bom (“beam”), Icelandic baðmur (“tree”), Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌲𐌼𐍃 (bagms, “tree”), Albanian bimë (“a plant”). Doublet of boom. The original English meaning of beam ("tree") is preserved in some compound words such as quickbeam. The verb is from Middle English bemen, from Old English bēamian (“to shine, to cast forth rays or beams of light”), from the noun.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADVERB
Related words
Idioms
02. kick the beam
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/beam
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0