Beach - Beamy

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Beach (bēch), n.; pl. Beaches (-ĕz). [Cf. Sw. backe hill, Dan. bakke, Icel. bakki hill, bank. Cf. .] 1. Pebbles, collectively; shingle.
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2. The shore of the sea, or of a lake, which is washed by the waves; especially, a sandy or pebbly shore; the strand.
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Coloq. Beach flea (Zoöl.), the common name of many species of amphipod Crustacea, of the family Orchestidæ, living on the sea beaches, and leaping like fleas. -- Coloq. Beach grass (Bot.), a coarse grass (Ammophila arundinacea), growing on the sandy shores of lakes and seas, which, by its interlaced running rootstocks, binds the sand together, and resists the encroachment of the waves. -- Coloq. Beach wagon , a light open wagon with two or more seats. -- Coloq. Raised beach , an accumulation of water-worn stones, gravel, sand, and other shore deposits, above the present level of wave action, whether actually raised by elevation of the coast, as in Norway, or left by the receding waters, as in many lake and river regions.
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Beach, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beached (bēcht); p. pr. & vb. n. Beaching.] To run or drive (as a vessel or a boat) upon a beach; to strand; as, to beach a ship.
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Beach comber (�). A long, curling wave rolling in from the ocean. See . [Amer., archaic]
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beachcomber. [Written also beach-comber or beach comber.] (Naut.) 1. A vagrant seaman, usually of low character, who loiters about seaports, particularly on the shores and islands of the Pacific Ocean.
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I was fortunate enough, however, to forgather with a Scotchman who was a beach-comber. F. T. Bullen.
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2. a vagrant living on a beach.
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3. a person who searches along a beach for objects of value, such as lost objects or seashells.
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Beached (bēcht), p. p. & a. 1. Bordered by a beach.
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The beached verge of the salt flood. Shak.
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2. Driven on a beach; stranded; drawn up on a beach; as, the ship is beached.
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beachhead n. an area in hostile territory that has been occupied and is held to allow aditional troops and supplies to enter.
Syn. -- bridgehead, foothold.
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beachlike adj. having an extensive gently sloping area of sand or gravel; -- of a shore or shoreline. Opposite of cliffy. [Narrower terms: gravelly, pebbly, shingly]
Syn. -- beachy.
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beachwear n. clothing to be worn at a beach.
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Beachy (�), a. Having a beach or beaches; formed by a beach or beaches; shingly.
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The beachy girdle of the ocean. Shak.
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Beacon (bēk'n), n. [OE. bekene, AS. beácen, bēcen; akin to OS. bōkan, Fries. baken, beken, sign, signal, D. baak, OHG. bouhhan, G. bake; of unknown origin. Cf. .] 1. A signal fire to notify of the approach of an enemy, or to give any notice, commonly of warning.
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No flaming beacons cast their blaze afar. Gay.
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2. A signal, such as that from a lighthouse, or a conspicuous mark erected on an eminence near the shore, or moored in shoal water, as a guide to mariners.
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3. A high hill near the shore. [Prov. Eng.]
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4. That which gives notice of danger.
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Modest doubt is called
The beacon of the wise. Shak.
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5. (Navigation) a radio transmitter which emits a characteristic signal indication its location, so that vehicles may determine their exact location by locating the beacon with a radio compass; -- also called Coloq. radio beacon .
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5. [fig.] that which provides guidance or inspiration; the Constitution has been a beacon for civil rights activists.
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Coloq. Beacon fire , a signal fire.
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Beacon, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beaconed (bēk'nd); p. pr. & vb. n. Beaconing.] 1. To give light to, as a beacon; to light up; to illumine.
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That beacons the darkness of heaven. Campbell.
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2. To furnish with a beacon or beacons.
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Beaconage (�), n. Money paid for the maintenance of a beacon; also, beacons, collectively.
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Beaconless, a. Having no beacon.
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Bead (bēd), n. [OE. bede prayer, prayer bead, AS. bed, gebed, prayer; akin to D. bede, G. bitte, AS. biddan, to ask, bid, G. bitten to ask, and perh. to Gr. peiqein to persuade, L. fidere to trust. Beads are used by the Roman Catholics to count their prayers, one bead being dropped down a string every time a prayer is said. Cf. Sp. cuenta bead, fr. contar to count. See , in to bid beads, and .] 1. A prayer. [Obs.]
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2. A little perforated ball, to be strung on a thread, and worn for ornament; or used in a rosary for counting prayers, as by Roman Catholics and Mohammedans, whence the phrases to tell beads, Coloq. to be at one's beads , Coloq. to bid beads , etc., meaning, to be at prayer.
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3. Any small globular body; as, (a) A bubble in spirits. (b) A drop of sweat or other liquid. “Cold beads of midnight dew.” Wordsworth. (c) A small knob of metal on a firearm, used for taking aim (whence the expression to draw a bead, for, to take aim). (d) (Arch.) A small molding of rounded surface, the section being usually an arc of a circle. It may be continuous, or broken into short embossments. (e) (Chem.) A glassy drop of molten flux, as borax or microcosmic salt, used as a solvent and color test for several mineral earths and oxides, as of iron, manganese, etc., before the blowpipe; as, the borax bead; the iron bead, etc.
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Coloq. Bead and butt (Carp.), framing in which the panels are flush, having beads stuck or run upon the two edges. Knight. -- Coloq. Bead mold , a species of fungus or mold, the stems of which consist of single cells loosely jointed together so as to resemble a string of beads. [Written also bead mould.] -- Coloq. Bead tool , a cutting tool, having an edge curved so as to make beads or beading. -- Coloq. Bead tree (Bot.), a tree of the genus Melia, the best known species of which (Melia azedarach), has blue flowers which are very fragrant, and berries which are poisonous.
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Bead, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beaded; p. pr. & vb. n. Beading.] To ornament with beads or beading.
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Bead, v. i. To form beadlike bubbles.
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beaded adj. 1. imp. & p. p. of , v. t. & i..
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2. covered with beads or jewels or sequins.
Syn. -- beady, bejeweled, bejewelled, bespangled, gemmed, jeweled, jewelled, sequined, spangled, spangly.
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3. appearing as if covered with beads; as, Her face was beaded with sweat.
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{ Beadhouse, Bedehouse } (�), n. [OE. bede prayer + E. house. See , n.] An almshouse for poor people who pray daily for their benefactors.
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Beading, n. 1. (Arch.) Molding in imitation of beads.
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2. The beads or bead-forming quality of certain liquors; as, the beading of a brand of whisky.
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Beadle (�), n. [OE. bedel, bidel, budel, OF. bedel, F. bedeau, fr. OHG. butil, putil, G. büttel, fr. OHG. biotan, G. bieten, to bid, confused with AS. bydel, the same word as OHG. butil. See. , v.] 1. A messenger or crier of a court; a servitor; one who cites or bids persons to appear and answer; -- called also an apparitor or summoner.
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2. An officer in a university, who precedes public processions of officers and students. [Eng.]
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☞ In this sense the archaic spellings bedel (Oxford) and bedell (Cambridge) are preserved.
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3. An inferior parish officer in England having a variety of duties, as the preservation of order in church service, the chastisement of petty offenders, etc.
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Beadlery (�), n. Office or jurisdiction of a beadle.
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Beadleship, n. The state of being, or the personality of, a beadle. A. Wood.
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Bead proof (�). 1. Among distillers, a certain degree of strength in alcoholic liquor, as formerly ascertained by the floating or sinking of glass globules of different specific gravities thrown into it; now ascertained by more accurate meters.
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2. A degree of strength in alcoholic liquor as shown by beads or small bubbles remaining on its surface, or at the side of the glass, when shaken.
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Beadroll (�), n. (R. C. Ch.) A catalogue of persons, for the rest of whose souls a certain number of prayers are to be said or counted off on the beads of a chaplet; hence, a catalogue in general.
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On Fame's eternal beadroll worthy to be filed. Spenser.
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It is quite startling, on going over the beadroll of English worthies, to find how few are directly represented in the male line. Quart. Rev.
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{ Beadsman, Bedesman } (�), n.; pl. -men (�). A poor man, supported in a beadhouse, and required to pray for the soul of its founder; an almsman.
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Whereby ye shall bind me to be your poor beadsman for ever unto Almighty God. Fuller.
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Beadsnake (�), n. (Zoöl.) A small poisonous snake of North America (Elaps fulvius), banded with yellow, red, and black.
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{ Beadswoman, Bedeswoman } (�), n.; pl. -women (�). Fem. of .
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Beadwork (�), n. Ornamental work in beads.
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Beady (�), a. 1. Resembling beads; small, round, and glistening. “Beady eyes.” Thackeray.
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2. Covered or ornamented with, or as with, beads.
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3. Characterized by beads; as, beady liquor.
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beady-eyed adj. 1. having eyes that gleam with malice.
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Beagle (�), n. [OE. begele; perh. of Celtic origin; cf. Ir. & Gael. beag small, little, W. bach. F. bigle is from English.] 1. A small hound, or hunting dog, twelve to fifteen inches high, used in hunting hares and other small game. See Illustration in Appendix.
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2. Fig.: A spy or detective; a constable.
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beagling n. hunting rabbits with beagles.
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Beak (bēk), n. [OE. bek, F. bec, fr. Celtic; cf. Gael. & Ir. bac, bacc, hook, W. bach.] 1. (Zoöl.) (a) The bill or nib of a bird, consisting of a horny sheath, covering the jaws. The form varies much according to the food and habits of the bird, and is largely used in the classification of birds. (b) A similar bill in other animals, as the turtles. (c) The long projecting sucking mouth of some insects, and other invertebrates, as in the Hemiptera. (d) The upper or projecting part of the shell, near the hinge of a bivalve. (e) The prolongation of certain univalve shells containing the canal.
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2. Anything projecting or ending in a point, like a beak, as a promontory of land. Carew.
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3. (Antiq.) A beam, shod or armed at the end with a metal head or point, and projecting from the prow of an ancient galley, in order to pierce the vessel of an enemy; a beakhead.
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4. (Naut.) That part of a ship, before the forecastle, which is fastened to the stem, and supported by the main knee.
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5. (Arch.) A continuous slight projection ending in an arris or narrow fillet; that part of a drip from which the water is thrown off.
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6. (Bot.) Any process somewhat like the beak of a bird, terminating the fruit or other parts of a plant.
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7. (Far.) A toe clip. See , n. (Far.).
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8. A magistrate or policeman. [Slang, Eng.]
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Beaked (bēkt), a. 1. Having a beak or a beaklike point; beak-shaped. “Each beaked promontory.” Milton.
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2. (Biol.) Furnished with a process or a mouth like a beak; rostrate.
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Coloq. Beaked whale (Zoöl.), a cetacean of the genus Hyperoodon; the bottlehead whale.
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Beaker (bēkẽr), n. [OE. biker; akin to Icel. bikarr, Sw. bägare, Dan. baeger, G. becher, It. bicchiere; -- all fr. LL. bicarium, prob. fr. Gr. bi^kos wine jar, or perh. L. bacar wine vessel. Cf. a jug.] 1. A large drinking cup, with a wide mouth, supported on a foot or standard.
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2. An open-mouthed, thin glass vessel, having a projecting lip for pouring; -- used for holding solutions requiring heat. Knight.
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Beakhead (�), n. 1. (Arch.) An ornament used in rich Norman doorways, resembling a head with a beak. Parker.
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2. (Naut.) (a) A small platform at the fore part of the upper deck of a vessel, which contains the water closets of the crew. (b) (Antiq.) Same as , 3.
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Beakiron (�), n. [From .] A bickern; a bench anvil with a long beak, adapted to reach the interior surfaces of sheet metal ware; the horn of an anvil.
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Beal (bēl), n. [See a tumor.] (Med.) A small inflammatory tumor; a pustule. [Prov. Eng.]
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Beal, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Bealed (�); p. pr. & vb. n. Bealing.] To gather matter; to swell and come to a head, as a pimple. [Prov. Eng.]
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Be-all (�), n. The whole; all that is to be. [Poetic] Shak.
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Beam (bēm), n. [AS. beám beam, post, tree, ray of light; akin to OFries. bām tree, OS. bōm, D. boom, OHG. boum, poum, G. baum, Icel. baðmr, Goth. bagms and Gr. fy^ma a growth, fy^nai to become, to be. Cf. L. radius staff, rod, spoke of a wheel, beam or ray, and G. strahl arrow, spoke of a wheel, ray or beam, flash of lightning. √97. See ; cf. a spar.] 1. Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use.
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2. One of the principal horizontal timbers of a building or ship.
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The beams of a vessel are strong pieces of timber stretching across from side to side to support the decks. Totten.
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3. The width of a vessel; as, one vessel is said to have more beam than another.
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4. The bar of a balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended.
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The doubtful beam long nods from side to side. Pope.
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5. The principal stem or horn of a stag or other deer, which bears the antlers, or branches.
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6. The pole of a carriage. [Poetic] Dryden.
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7. 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.
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8. The straight part or shank of an anchor.
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9. 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.
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10. (Steam Engine) 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.
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11. A ray or collection of parallel rays emitted from the sun or other luminous body; as, a beam of light, or of heat.
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How far that little candle throws his beams! Shak.
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12. (Fig.): A ray; a gleam; as, a beam of comfort.
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Mercy with her genial beam. Keble.
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13. One of the long feathers in the wing of a hawk; -- called also beam feather.
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Coloq. Abaft the beam (Naut.), in an arc of the horizon between a line that crosses the ship at right angles, or in the direction of her beams, and that point of the compass toward which her stern is directed. -- Coloq. Beam center (Mach.), the fulcrum or pin on which the working beam of an engine vibrates. -- Coloq. Beam compass , an instrument consisting of a rod or beam, having sliding sockets that carry steel or pencil points; -- used for drawing or describing large circles. -- Coloq. Beam engine , a steam engine having a working beam to transmit power, in distinction from one which has its piston rod attached directly to the crank of the wheel shaft. -- Coloq. Before the beam (Naut.), in an arc of the horizon included between a line that crosses the ship at right angles and that point of the compass toward which the ship steers. -- Coloq. On the beam , in a line with the beams, or at right angles with the keel. -- Coloq. On the weather beam , on the side of a ship which faces the wind. -- Coloq. To be on her beam ends , to incline, as a vessel, so much on one side that her beams approach a vertical position.
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Beam, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beamed (bēmd); p. pr. & vb. n. Beaming.] To send forth; to emit; -- followed ordinarily by forth; as, to beam forth light.
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Beam, v. i. To emit beams of light.
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He beamed, the daystar of the rising age. Trumbull.
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Beambird (�), n. (Zoöl.) A small European flycatcher (Muscicapa grisola), so called because it often nests on a beam in a building.
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Beamed (�), a. Furnished with beams, as the head of a stag.
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Tost his beamed frontlet to the sky. Sir W. Scott.
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Beamful (�), a. Beamy; radiant.
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Beamily (�), adv. In a beaming manner.
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Beaminess, n. The state of being beamy.
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Beaming, a. Emitting beams; radiant.
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Beamingly, adv. In a beaming manner; radiantly.
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Beamless, a. 1. Not having a beam.
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2. Not emitting light.
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Beamlet (�), n. A small beam of light.
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Beam tree (�). [AS. beám a tree. See .] (Bot.) A tree (Pyrus aria) related to the apple.
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Beamy (�), a. 1. Emitting beams of light; radiant; shining. “Beamy gold.” Tickell.
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