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REFERENCE

beat

v. · n. · adj.
US //ˈbit// UK //bˈiːt// beat
Irregular verb past beat past participle beaten
  1. 1 to defeat (v.)
    A2 Elementary Sport

    to win against someone in a game, fight, or competition.

    to overcome an opponent in a contest, battle, or competitive endeavour.

    Example

    Our team played well and managed to beat the champions by two goals.

    Example

    Despite their opponent's superior ranking, the underdog managed to beat the defending champions in a grueling five-set match.
  2. 2 to hit repeatedly (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to hit something or someone many times, often very hard.

    to strike a person or object repeatedly with force, often using a hand or an implement.

    Example

    He was so angry that he started to beat the desk with his fist.

    Example

    The rain continued to beat against the windowpane throughout the night, making it impossible for the guests to sleep.
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  1. 3 to mix food (v.)
    B1 Intermediate Cooking

    to mix food quickly with a fork or tool to make it smooth.

    to stir or mix ingredients with a vigorous, rapid motion to incorporate air or achieve a smooth consistency.

    Example

    You need to beat the eggs and sugar together until they are light and fluffy.

    Example

    The recipe instructs the baker to beat the butter and sugar until the mixture reaches a pale, aerated texture before adding the dry ingredients.
  2. 4 pulsation (v.)
    B1 Intermediate Medicine

    to move with a regular rhythm, like your heart.

    to pulsate or throb with a regular, rhythmic frequency.

    Example

    She could feel her heart beat faster as she walked onto the stage.

    Example

    The patient's heart began to beat erratically, prompting the medical team to monitor the electrocardiogram more closely.
  3. 5 musical rhythm (n.)
    A2 Elementary Music

    the main rhythm or steady sound in a piece of music.

    the basic unit of time in a musical composition; the pulse that listeners typically tap their feet to.

    Example

    The song has a great beat that makes everyone want to dance.

    Example

    The drummer maintained a steady beat, providing a rhythmic foundation that allowed the soloists to improvise freely.
  4. 6 area of duty (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the specific area that a police officer or worker is responsible for.

    a specific route or area assigned to a police officer or guard for regular patrolling.

    Example

    The officer has been patrolling this beat for over ten years.

    Example

    The local constable was intimately familiar with every alleyway and storefront on his beat, having patrolled the neighbourhood for two decades.
  5. 7 exhausted (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal American English

    feeling very tired or worn out.

    completely exhausted or physically spent.

    Example

    I'm totally beat after working a twelve-hour shift at the hospital.

    Example

    After hiking twenty miles through the rugged mountain terrain, the entire group felt completely beat and collapsed into their tents.
  6. 8 makeup look (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Slang

    having very impressive or perfectly applied makeup.

    referring to a face that has been expertly made up, often with heavy or dramatic products.

    Example

    Her makeup was absolutely beat for the wedding photos.

    Example

    The drag queen spent three hours in the dressing room ensuring her face was perfectly beat before the curtain rose.

    Usage

    Often used in the phrase 'face is beat'.

    Teacher's tip

    This sense originated in drag culture and AAVE; it is now common in social media beauty communities.
Etymology 1

From Middle English beten, from Old English bēatan (“to beat, pound, strike, lash, dash, thrust, hurt, injure”), from Proto-West Germanic bautan, from Proto-Germanic bautaną (“to push, strike”). Cognates Cognate with Dutch boten, botten, butten (“to push, strike”), German boßen (“to thrash”), Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍄𐌰𐌽 (bautan, “to beat, strike”) (whence, probably, Galician and Portuguese botar (“to expel; to throw”)); also Latin fūstis (“club, cudgel, knobbed stick, staff”), *fūtō (“to strike”), Albanian bahe, hobe (“sling”), Armenian բութ (butʻ), բույթ (buytʻ, “thumb”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English bet (simple past of beten "to beat"), from Old English bēot (simple past of bēatan "to beat"). Middle English bet would regularly yield *beet; the modern form is influenced by the present stem and the past participle beaten, perhaps by analogy with the Early Modern English paradigm eat:eat (“ate”):eaten. Pronunciations with /ɛ/ (from Middle English bette, alternative simple past of beten) are possibly analogous to read (/ɹɛd/), led, met, etc.

Etymology 3

From beatnik, or beat generation.

Word family
Idioms35 entries

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