beam — OAT · Shobdo

beam

noun

1 there are very fine oak beams in the oldest part of the house:

joist, purlin, girder, spar, support, strut, stay, brace, scantling, batten, transom, lintel, stringer, balk, board, timber, plank, lath, rafter;

collar beam, tie beam, summer (tree), hammer beam, cantilever.

2 a beam of light:

ray, shaft, stream, streak, pencil, finger;

flash, gleam, glow, glimmer, glint, flare, bar;

radiation, emission.

3 seeing the beam on her face was enough to cheer me up:

grin, smile, bright look.

▷antonyms frown.

□ off beam

informal

you're way off beam on this one:

mistaken, incorrect, inaccurate, wrong, erroneous, off-target, out, on the wrong track, wide of the mark, awry;

informal (getting) cold.

▷antonyms spot on, on the beam.

verb

1 satellites for beaming TV to rooftop aerials:

broadcast, transmit, relay, send/put out, disseminate;

direct, aim;

televise, show, telecast, put on the air/airwaves.

2 golden rays beamed down through the clouds:

shine, radiate, glare, glitter, gleam, shimmer, glimmer, twinkle, flash, flare, streak.

3 she was beaming from ear to ear:

grin, smile, dimple, grin like a Cheshire Cat, twinkle, smirk, laugh;

informal be all smiles.

▷antonyms frown.